


Regret and Redemption

by DancerinDarkness



Series: Regret and Redemption [1]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Angst, F/M, Family Feels, Guilt, Self-Loathing, Tragic Romance, Unhealthy Coping Mechanisms, Unplanned Pregnancy, Vergil is a stubborn bastard, attempts at family bonding, but it gets better, eventually, so much of it, will add more tags as needed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-18
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:47:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23193415
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DancerinDarkness/pseuds/DancerinDarkness
Summary: After the twins return from the Demon World, the crew finds themselves back in Fortuna, with family tensions running high in the meantime. But no matter how much Vergil may try otherwise, the past always comes to light in the end, no matter how painful.
Relationships: Nero's Mother/Vergil (Devil May Cry)
Series: Regret and Redemption [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1686202
Comments: 58
Kudos: 78





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I've got lots of ideas in my head that I need to get out, and hopefully I can compile them into a semi-comprehensible story. Half of what I have is stuff carried over from my previous writings, and half is stuff that I changed because I liked it more. Enjoy.

It was all too easy to lose track of the time here; wave after wave of demons attacked the twins, and wave after wave would they be slaughtered. And for as satisfying as it was to tear through demons without even trying, it could also be terribly boring; even the strongest demons they came across were all too easy to destroy, and even Dante's quips failed to draw out so much as an eye roll from Vergil.

It was why the few moments of peace they had were a relief, despite spending much of it in silence. Dante would often try to pry something, anything from his brother, but the responses he received were always brief. And when he asked about Nero’s mother, it was always the same answer: it was a long time ago. Still, for as much as Dante was frustrated by how guarded his twin was, he tried not to be too angry; after all, he was sure that he would open up when he was ready.

But one day, after yet another wave of demons met their end, Vergil saw the last thing he would have expected to see here; standing several yards away from him was _her_. Red dress, white cowl over her head, slender figure… it was unmistakably her.

At first he thought he must have imagined it; but when she turned her head to look at him, before disappearing and reappearing even further away from him, he found himself chasing after her without a second thought.

“Hey, wait!” Dante shouted. “Where’re you going? Hey!”

* * *

Dante’s words fell on deaf ears as Vergil pursued her; it seemed as though just as he had her within his grasp, she slipped away once more. But still, continued his pursuit, occasionally slicing through a demon along the way without even stopping.

Finally, she came to a stop. For a moment he hesitated, as though afraid of what would happened if he took just one step closer. But she remained still as she stared ahead of her, as though in a trance, her gaze not once turning to him. Hesitantly, he reached his hand out to her, and took a single step…

“Nice to see you’ve decided to join us,” a familiar voice said. Not a moment later did V appear next to her, a smug smirk spread across his lips.

“What are you doing here?” Vergil said as his hands clenched into fists. V began to gracefully circle her, his grin not once showing a sign of fading.

“I’m a part of you, remember? And as long as you continue to reject even an ounce of your humanity, I always will be. Especially when it comes to her.” At his last word, he glided his fingers along her shoulder, to which Vergil responded with gripping his hand around Yamato’s hilt, preparing to unsheathe it. “When you separated yourself from your humanity, you also separated her from your memories, the tether that constantly tugged at your conscious, and the source of so much of your pain that you so desperately tried to bury. But now that we’re whole again, she returned as well. Isn’t that right, my dear?” He stopped to gently caress her cheek before using his finger to tilt her head upwards to him.

“Don’t touch her!” Vergil shouted as his blade cried.

“Come now, Vergil, surely you don’t think I would ever harm her? After all, I now have all of your memories, including all of the love you still hold for her to this day.” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear before continuing. “What she gave you was something most could only dream to have… and then you willingly tossed it aside.”

“What she gave me was weakness,” Vergil spat. 

“Is that so? Then you won’t if I indulge in it instead.” He then cupped both hands around her face before leaning in to kiss her, which she accepted as she ever so slightly parted her lips and rested her hands against his chest. In an instant, Vergil was consumed by pure rage. He raised his blade and charged towards his other half.

“Get away from her!” Right when he was about to slice through V, his momentum quickly came to a stop when the blade struck the length of a cane, which guarded its owner. V simply grinned at Vergil as his free arm rested around her waist, her small hands still at his chest. All at once Vergil was torn between wanting to pull her away, and wanting to tear V to shreds on the spot. After a moment of admiring the fury he had provoked, V chucked before turning towards her, his expression softening.

“Better leave now, my dear,” he whispered. “This could get quite unsightly.” Within a few seconds she vanished, leaving the two men to themselves. V’s smug smile returned before swiping his cane towards Vergil, to which the latter immediately blocked.

The battle should have been no contest; not so long ago V could barely even stand on his feet even with the assistance of his cane, let alone fight. Even at his strongest he needed the crutches of Griffon and Shadow to do most of the work in combat. But now V was more than able to hold his own in a fight, and he was actually making Vergil struggle. How could he, the embodiment of all of Vergil’s weaknesses, be an even match for him?

“You weren’t so different from one another, were you?” V asked without faltering his breath as he flawlessly blocked each attack. “You were both horribly lonely, though of course you would never admit it, and you both experienced the pain of losing the one you held most dear to you.” For a brief second there was an opening for V to take advantage of, but Vergil refused to allow it to happen. Even so, the smile never left V’s face. “It was why you complimented one another so well, despite your differences; you were someone who cared for her when everyone else looked at her with contempt, and she gave you the peace that had been absent in your life for ten long years.”

“I don’t need you to tell me my life story,” Vergil said as he attempted another attack.

“But if I don’t, who will?” V replied as he elegantly dodged each strike. “It’s not healthy to keep your memories buried. And surely your son will want to know more about his mother.”

“He doesn’t need to know.”

“And you just expect him to be satisfied without any answers when the key to his past is right under his nose? You really are still detached from your humanity. If only she were here to see you now.”

“I don’t care about what a dead woman thinks of me.” A mischievous gleam shone in V’s eyes as he increased the distance between him and Vergil.

“Then let’s put that to the test, shall we?” Just as Vergil began to charge towards him, V snapped his fingers and she appeared before him just as he was about to be attacked. As soon as he saw her, Vergil stopped in his tracks, sword still raised above his head and almost stumbling from forcing himself to stop so quickly.

A second later he felt an intense pain at the back of his head, which made his vision turn dark as he nearly fell over. He was barely able to regain his balance when he clumsily spun around and blocked the following attack, still trying to recover from his dizziness.

“She’s not even truly here, and yet you continue to act as her guardian,” V said as he tried to land another strike. “It seems your actions betray your words.” Just as he blocked another attack, they both heard a voice calling out in the distance.

“Vergil!” Dante shouted. “Hey, Verge! Where are you?” V slowly lowered his weapon as took a few steps back.

“It seems your brother has finally caught up,” he said. “I’ll leave you two to yourselves. But we’ll see each other again very soon.” He gave a final bow as he disappeared from sight.

As Vergil sheathed his blade, he turned around to see that she was still standing there. He slowly approached her, hoping she would welcome his touch as she did so many times before. But right before his fingertips could reach her shoulder, she disappeared.

“Of course,” he muttered as he dropped his hand. “Why would you want anything to do with me after what I did to you?”

“Verge!” Dante called out as he caught his breath. “There you are… what the hell were you chasing after?”

So he couldn’t see her; that must mean that he probably wouldn’t be able to see V either. Of course Vergil would end up looking like madman in front of his brother.

“Nothing,” he replied.

“Yeah… you ran like hell after nothing…”

“It’s _nothing_ , Dante; now let’s go; we’ve already wasted enough time.”

 _Keeping secrets, again, I see_ V’s voice echoed in Vergil’s head as he continued forward. _You never learn, do you?_

Vergil ignored V’s prodding, but already he was dreading what was to come; not only would his other half be a constant source of torment, but now so would she; how many nights were spent dreaming of her, and how many more were to come? How many times had he see her pleading for him to reconsider every reprehensible act he had done? And Nero… how was Vergil going to tell him that he broke every promise to his mother, because he lacked to strength to protect her? That he was the reason why his childhood was spent in an orphanage? As if his son didn’t already harbor enough animosity towards him…

“Hey,” Dante said, “I know you’re just going to brush me off like you always do, but I can tell that you’re going through some shit right now, even though you’re too much of a hard ass to admit it. So all I’m going to say is that you’re going to be a lot better off if you actually talk about your problems instead of keeping them all to yourself.”

_Listen to your brother, for once; I think even you know that keeping your memories locked away isn’t doing you any favors._

“I’m fine,” Vergil replied, though with noticeably less irritation in his voice. “Let’s… just try to find a way out of here as soon as we can.”

There was certainly going to be a long road ahead of them.


	2. Arrival

Not long after the twin’s return, Dante received a call Morrison informing him of a powerful demon that was wreaking havoc in Fortuna. If he could fix this demon problem, then there would be a hefty paycheck waiting for him.

Which why was Dante, Vergil, and Nero were currently sitting in the back of the Devil May Cry van in complete silence as the scent of Nico’s cigarette smoke lingered in the air. Occasionally it would look as though someone was about to speak, but for one reason or another the silence persisted.

“The silence is deafening,” V said as he reclined in the seat across from Vergil. “Don’t you agree?” When there was no response, he let out a click of his tongue. “You can’t ignore me forever, you know; sooner or later you’ll reach the end of your limit.” Vergil simply released a grunt under his breath.

“Something up?” Dante said almost too excitedly as he lifted his head from the adult magazine he was buried in.

“No,” his brother replied. “It’s nothing.” Dante let out a dejected sigh as he returned to his reading.

At long last they arrived at their destination just as the sun was beginning to set. Dante had informed them that someone named Atticus would be waiting for them. And sure enough, a middle aged man in a modest gray suit quickly approached them, panic clearly evident on his face.

“Oh thank goodness,” he said as he stopped in front of them. “You’ve finally arrived. I was starting to worry.”

“So what’s this demon problem you’ve got?” Dante asked.

“We call her Algea. Myself and the rest of the citizens, I mean. We have no idea of who she is or why she attacks, but she’s already caused so much destruction in the city, and so many people have been critically injured because of her. And her cries… her cries will chill you to the bone…”

As though on cue a blood curdling wail rang through the air, one that seemed to express pain, sorrow, and anger all at once.

“There she is,” Atticus said as his body visibly shook. “Any second now she’s going to appear.”

A few seconds later a horrifying demon appeared before them. She looked human, but her skin was a pale gray with empty white eyes, her dark hair a tangled and knotted mess. Her long, bony fingers tipped with stiletto-like claws. Her face was contorted to the same expression as her cries, pain, sadness, and wrath clearly visible as her piercing gaze landed on the group. At her midsection was a large, gaping hole, with bright crimson blood staining her tattered brown dress, as though she were recently injured.

“Get in the van,” Dante ordered as he prepared his blade. “We’ll take it from here.” Atticus nodded before quickly shutting himself in the vehicle, to which Nico swiftly drove him to safety.

For as much as a panic Atticus was in when they arrived, the demon was hardly a challenge for them; though her movements were nimble, each of them more than easily dodged her attacks, and they landed their fair share of hits on her.

But what the greatest obstacle for them was those screams, those horrible, haunting screams. Not only was the pitch enough to make one’s ears ring, but each cry sounded as though it had frozen their souls, as though she had stolen all of their joys with her voice. Nero was most affected by it, to the point where he was frozen in place for a few vital seconds, and he was just barely able to jump out of the way of her attack, though not before she left a small scratch at the back of his forearm.

Despite their struggles, it was not long until she was finally defeated, disappearing with one last blow. The streets were empty and silent once again.

“That was it?” Dante asked with a hint of disappointment. “Well, at least none of us are dead.”

“She’ll be back,” Atticus replied as he approached them again. “Every time we get rid of her, she comes back the next day. That’s why I was hoping you’d be able to end her for good. In the meantime, I’ve made arrangements for you at a nearby inn. The cost is already covered, of course, and you can stay as long as you need. Why don’t you get settled before tomorrow?”

 _I wonder if it’s the same inn you were planning on staying at_ V said as Vergil made his way towards the van. _Before she welcomed you into her home._ When he opened the door, he pretended that he couldn’t see V sitting across from him, tapping his finger against the handle of his cane and wearing the same smug grin on his face that was asking to be hit.

“Hey,” Nero said as he took his seat. “Did anyone else feel kind of… weird back there?”

“What do you mean?” Dante asked.

“I mean… I kind of felt bad for attacking her. I mean, yeah she was trying to kill us and all, but as creepy as she was, she also looked so sad.”

“That kind of attitude will get you killed,” Vergil replied without a hint of sympathy in his voice.

“He’s right, you know,” Atticus added. “Demons will more than gladly use your pity against you; that’s why the best way to kill a demon is to think like them; strike without fear or mercy.” Nero looked indignant for a moment as he crossed his arms, but said nothing more.

Five minutes later they arrived at a generously sized inn just as the last rays of the sun were disappearing, and the stars began scattering across the night sky.

As soon as Nico parked the van, they entered the inn. When Atticus explained who they were, the woman at the desk showed them upstairs to their rooms.

“Thank you, Melissa,” he said. “And I bid you all good night; I’m sure it’ll be a long day ahead of you.” As soon as he was out of sight and his footsteps were out of earshot, Nico gave a displeased grumbled.

“What’s wrong?” Dante asked.

“I don’t trust him,” she said, “not one bit. I’ve met a lot of shady people, and the moment I met ‘em, I knew something was up with ‘em. This guy’s no different. I mean, remember V?”

_She remembers me. I’m touched._

“Well, as much as I trust your sixth sense, we don’t really have much a choice right now. And we might as well take advantage of not having to spend the night in a van, even if we have to sleep with one eye open.”

As Vergil turned around and was about to reach for the doorknob, he felt his other arm caught in a tight grasp.

“We need to talk,” Nero said as he held his father in place.

“Whatever it is, it can wait until morning,” Vergil replied as he turned away. But Nero’s grip only tightened as his frustration intensified.

“No; I’ve asked you about my mom God knows how many times, and I’m tired of you giving me the same half-assed answer.”

“Why does it matter to you so much? She’s dead; that’s all that matters.”

“No, that’s _not_ all that matters; I have a right to know who she was. Was she just some careless chick you had fun with?”

In an instant Vergil ripped his arm away from his son’s grip before grabbing him by the neck and pinning him against the wall, a loud thud echoing through the hall as his head struck against it. Nero used all of his strength to pull himself from Vergil’s grasp, but he couldn’t even move a finger off his neck.

“I don’t give a damn what you say about me,” Vergil growled as he practically squeezed the air out of his son’s throat, fingernails ever so slightly sinking into skin. “But if you even think to insult her again-“ 

“Verge, calm the hell down!” Dante said as he grabbed his brother’s shoulders and pried him off of Nero. When he finally released his grip, Nero was left coughing and gasping for air, his back pressed against the wall for support as his legs struggled to regain balance. “I’m not expecting you to hug it out or anything, but if two can’t get along for even two seconds, we’re going to end up being here a lot longer than we need to. Now can you please just settle down?”

Nero let out a frustrated huff before pulling open the door to his room and slamming the door shut behind him. A second later, Vergil followed suit into his own room, shutting the door much more quietly, though with no less frustration.

“Those two…” Nico sighed as she shook her head.

“I’m gonna check on the kid,” Dante said as he approached Nero’s room. “His dad’s not the only one who could use a good talk.”

* * *

Nero flopped his back onto the plain white bedsheets, arms tightly crossed against his chest as he stared up at the equally unremarkable ceiling. Would it kill his old man to just say something, anything to him about his mother? Would it kill him to have just a bit of honesty between father and son? Why was it so damn hard for him to put his stubbornness aside just once in his life? If he really wanted to get closer to own kid, then he sure was doing a shitty job of it.

As he readjusted his pillow, he heard three solid raps at the door.

“Can I come in?” Dante’s muffled voice asked.

“Whatever,” Nero replied without even turning his head. A second later, he heard the door creak open.

“Hey,” Dante said as he shut the door behind him.

“What do you want?”

“I just want to help.”

“Can you get my old man to swallow his pride?” Dante chuckled before leaning against an adjacent wall.

“I said I wanted to help, not perform a miracle. But anyways, there’s something I wanted to tell you.” He shuffled the hair at the back of his head before continuing. “I heard him talking in his sleep the other night.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Just listen. I couldn’t quite hear him at first, but then I heard him mutter the name ‘Alisha’, I think it was. Then I heard him say ‘wait, don’t go. Not yet. Please… just stay, even for moment…’” When there was no response, Dante continued. “I didn’t want to tell you this, since I figured that kind of stuff’s private. And I get that you’re frustrated with him; I am too. But I get the feeling that whatever he’s hiding, it’s probably something really painful. So… just be patient with him, okay?” He was about to walk out the door before suddenly stopping. “Oh, and don’t tell him I told you about the sleep talking thing.” When he heard the door shut, Nero let out a sigh.

“Damn it, old man,” he murmured.

* * *

_She couldn’t believe she was doing this._

_Not only did she just ask a stranger to get her out of Fortuna, not only did she agree to help him uncover classified information, but now she was inviting him into her home. She didn’t even know what he looked like; this man could very well murder her in her sleep if he felt she outlived her usefulness, not to mention the trouble she could get into if someone were to find out about her information trafficking to an outsider. But still… he was her only hope of escape, and if she didn’t take the opportunity now, then she may never get another one again._

_She shut the door as soon as the both of them were inside. She removed her cowl and adjusted her long chestnut hair with her fingers. When she looked over and saw that his face was still concealed by the hood of his cloak, she smiled at him._

_“You don’t need to hide your face here,” she said. “Your secret’s safe with me.”_

_After a moment of hesitation, she saw him pull his hood back. She couldn’t but let out a tiny gasp at what she saw: she didn’t know what she expected beneath the shroud, but it wasn’t a very handsome looking man. Pure white hair with soft looking locks, a perfectly sculpted face like a marble statue… and those eyes… such beautiful, pale blue eyes…_

_“Is something wrong?” he asked after the silence lingered for too long._

_“N-No,” she quickly replied as she turned her head, hoping that her cheeks weren’t red. “Actually, wait here for a moment.” She quickly made her way to her father’s bedroom and searched the closet that hadn’t been opened for years. She could still smell the faint scent of mint and vanilla lingering from the clothes that were neatly hung on the rack. After gathering a suit set and cowl, as well as stack of worn books, she returned to the stranger._

_“You should probably wear this when you go out,” she said as she handed him the clothes. “You’ll look less conspicuous. And these are my father’s research notes; I’m sure you’ll find something of use here. As for sleeping arrangements, you can stay in his room. What is your name, by the way?” There was a slight pause before he finally replied._

_“Vergil,” he said._

_“I’m Alisha; is there anyone else that knows you’re here?”_

_“No… there’s no one waiting for me.” She let out a small, sympathetic sigh._

_“I understand; there’s no one for me either.”_


	3. Lavender's Blue

Out of all the dreams Nero ever had, last night’s was by far one of the more vivid ones. And stranger yet, it involved his father. Not only that, but there was a woman with him, young and pretty, who said something about trying to help Vergil with whatever he needed in Fortuna, including giving him a place to stay. And then she said something about wanting to escape and that there was no one there for her… it seemed like it couldn’t have been anyone except his mother, but there was still no way for him to be entirely sure…

As for today’s assignment, the three of them were on the hunt for the demon Algea again, hoping to find a way to get rid of her for good. And thanks to the previous night’s incident, the silence among them was even more noticeable than usual. For a brief moment Nero turned his head towards his uncle, who made an expression that seemed to say “well? Aren’t you going to say something?” The young devil hunter let out a sigh before finally speaking.

“Look,” he said. “About last night… I’m sorry. Really, I am. I just really, really want you to open up for once, but I’m sure that whatever you’re hiding is probably something that you have a hard time coming to terms with. And while I think talking about it would help you a lot, I know that I shouldn’t force you to say anything you’re not ready to say.” He waited for his father to reply, but there was nothing except a long pause.

“Your mother hated this place,” Vergil suddenly said.

“Huh?”

“This island was her prison; she called it her hell.”

“Why?”

“Tell me, Nero; do you remember anyone ever speak of your mother?” Nero hesitated for a moment, his neck still feeling a bit sore after last night, and he didn’t know if he should tell his father what was spoken about his mother after his own remark threw Vergil in a rage. But he did ask…

“Well… I remember the caretakers and other adults say that my mom was home wrecker who seduced married men, and the rest of the kids said that meant she was a slut.”

“That’s a damned lie,” Vergil spat as his fingers curled into fists. “Do you want the truth? A high-ranking member of the Order tried to force himself on her and kissed her against her will. When his wife discovered this, she dragged her to the church to have an audience with the high priests. Of course, given your mother’s accusers’ high statuses in the Order, she was condemned without a chance to defend herself.” Silence lingered in the air once again as even Dante looked visibly disturbed by this revelation, and guilt washed over Nero for his callous remark the previous night. “They locked her in a prison cell for a month, and told her to pray for forgiveness for a sin she never committed. That’s why when she first approached me, she made a proposition that she provide me with information in exchange for helping her escape from this place.”

“So did you? Help her escape, I mean.” There was another extended pause.

“No,” Vergil finally replied.

So the woman in his dreams was his mother after all. But why was he having dreams about her? Should he tell Vergil? Maybe, but how well would he take finding out that his son knew so much about his mother before Vergil had a chance to tell him? Perhaps it would be best to keep this to himself for now. He couldn’t imagine doing so would cause any harm…

“See?” V asked as he took long strides alongside Vergil with cane in hand. “That wasn’t so hard, now was it? And don’t you feel better already?” No response as usual. “Such a shame you’re choosing to give me the silent treatment; I could help you if you would just let me.” 

Soon enough they encountered several lesser demons that crossed their path, but they were much more of a nuisance than a struggle for the three of them. They soon found their real target, who currently had a male civilian in her lethal grasp, the young citizen desperately thrashing his legs around as he tried to remove her talons from around his neck.

“Hey!” Dante shouted. The demon looked at him before releasing her agonizing wail, dropping her victim in the process who quickly scurried away. Suddenly her interest was only in the three of them, and she charged towards Dante, who more than easily dodged out of the way. “Gonna take more than that to catch me, babe,” he quipped with a grin.

After failing to attack any of them, she cried out once more, which caused Nero’s hands to fly to his ears and wince in pain, the horrible scream making his entire body freeze in place. A second later she swiped at him, which Vergil blocked at the last moment, metal clanging against sharp claws.

“Focus, damn it!” he scolded to his son. Nero grunted in frustration before striking her in retaliation, to which she responded with a sinister hiss.

Again, it was not long until she disappeared, though they all knew the peace wouldn’t last.

“So now what?” Nero asked. “She’s just gonna come back tomorrow.”

“We’ll keep trying,” Dante said. “And if that doesn’t work… well, we’ll figure it out from there.”

As the day was still fairly young, they decided to see if the library had any useful information regarding their Algea. Parts of the large windows were covered with wooden boards, but otherwise the building was still in well-kept condition. Inside, the great, domed window at the center of the ceiling illuminated the entire library in warm sunlight.

“Remember when she would sneak books out of the restricted areas for you?” V asked as he followed Vergil to a bookshelf. “She could have very well lost her job here, but she did it for you; she wasn’t about abandon her end of the bargain.”

“Why don’t you make yourself useful and see if you can find any information that can help us,” Vergil said in a low enough voice so no one else could hear.

“He speaks,” V said with a grand gesture of his arm as Vergil examined a book. “I thought the day would never come.” Vergil ignored V’s remark as usual as he flipped through the slightly worn pages. There was nothing here that he didn’t already know. After placing the book back in its spot on the shelf, he scanned the rows of books again, hoping to find something that could help him.

_Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green,_

_When I am king, dilly dilly, you shall be queen_

V appeared from behind a nearby bookshelf, a book with an elegant black cover in his hand as he sang. “It seems I’ve found a book of folk songs and I just so happened to open up to this one. I’m sure you know it quite well.”

How could he forget? She always hummed it as she did chores around the house, a song she often sang with her father, she said. Even as he was buried in archives, her soft, sweet humming managed to reduce his stress some, even when he was sitting as his desk for hours. And when his son cried, she would soothe him with her gentle singing as she rocked him in her arms… What kind of mother would she have been had she gotten the chance to raise him? He imagined that she would have been a lot like his own mother: soft and nurturing, but not to be mistaken for being a pushover…

He quickly pushed these thoughts aside; there was no point in imagining what might have been. Besides, there were more important things he needed to think about. Not that it stopped V from humming the rest of the song as he strode through the shelves.

Unfortunately, the three of them found nothing that could possibly assist them, even as the sun was beginning to set. Seeing as how there wasn’t much left to do during the remaining hours of the day, they decided to return to the inn. And much to Vergil’s chagrin, V was already waiting for him, sitting at the foot of the bed. But to his surprise, his other half lacked his usual cocky grin.

“It must be difficult,” he said, this time without a hint of mockery, “to have to sleep without her in your arms…”

For once, he agreed with him; he still remembered how her silken hair felt between his fingers, how the sound of her breathing and heartbeat helped put him to sleep… even her scent was still fresh as yesterday in his memory. His body was quite cold, but she never seemed to mind as she nuzzled her face against his chest, sharing her warmth with him…

“If you really pity me,” Vergil said as he sat at his desk, “then let sleep without dreams of her.” V let out a light, almost apologetic chuckle.

“I’m afraid not even I can do that.”

* * *

The dreams Nero had that night were quite different from the last; this time he saw events that seemed to span across several days, perhaps even more. The first he saw was of Alisha… his mother… bringing in a bowl of freshly made soup for his father as he was practically glued to whatever he was reading. He refused at first, saying that such gestures were unnecessary, but she insisted, for she didn’t want to waste food, which finally made him accept her offer. She smiled before leaving him back to his studies. On another day, she was giving him a stack of books that seemed to be falling apart, barely held together with equally old lacing at their spines, saying that she managed to smuggle them out of the restricted areas of the library where she worked. Again, she smiled when he thanked her, something she seemed to do often when he was around.

One morning, he had joined her for church services, probably so that he could study the local customs. As she made her way through the great doors, a sea of stares were aimed towards her, and clearly audible whispers echoed through the chapel.

“She has some nerve to keep coming here.”

“How dare she continue to sully the house of our lord with her presence.”

“I can only imagine how disappointed her father must be.”

Alisha clearly looked uncomfortable with everyone talking about her like this, especially when she heard someone say, “Harlots have no place here,” but she continued forward until she found an empty seat. Even Vergil looked cross at the slander thrown her way, but he too said nothing, lest he make a scene, and imitated the way she prayed.

After services were finished, she led him to the library, where she showed him the section of books about the history of Sparda that were available to the public. As she was about to enter one of the rear rooms, a woman made a remark to her friend as Alisha passed them.

“She thinks she can have whatever she wants just because she’s pretty and sickly,” the woman scoffed. Alisha said nothing until she heard the next sentence. “Perhaps if her father did a better job of raising her, this never would have happened.” That made her quickly turn around, anger clearly marked on her face.

“Don’t speak of my father that way!” she all but shouted. The two women simply sneered at her before passing by.

One day, right after finishing some chores, she immediately sat down on the sofa, clearly exhausted. It was right at that moment when his father left his room, her tired sigh likely catching his attention.

“Are you all right?” he asked.

“I’m fine,” she replied, smiling once more. “My health has never been the best, unfortunately.”

“Then why do you want to leave here?” he asked. “Surely if you’re in a new environment, you’ll be making yourself vulnerable.” It was then that her smile faded, and the sparkle from her eyes dimmed.

“Because,” she replied, “even if I were to die from some horrible disease, at least I’ll die far away from here, far away from them.” Suddenly she started crying, which made Vergil look to be genuinely remorseful as tears glistened down her cheeks. After a few seconds of saying nothing, he looked as though he was about to apologize, but she interrupted him before he could, tearfully explaining what had happened to her a year before his father’s arrival, how she was forced upon, but got branded a temptress because the wife of a high ranking member of the Order refused to believe that her husband would be unfaithful. After her month long imprisonment, her health took a turn for the worst, her constitution already rather weak, and could barely work her short hours per week of work at the library. And then, of course, with Fortuna being the closely knit community that it was, word quickly spread of her supposed crime, and no matter where she went, she couldn’t escape their judgmental glares. Even the few that took pity on her, such as her employer, didn’t truly think that she was innocent, just that she was a naïve girl who made a mistake that she shouldn’t have to pay with her life for.

“That’s why,” she said as she wiped tears from her eyes again, “you’re my only hope for escaping from this hell.”

After a moment, Vergil awkwardly outstretched his arm to her. She practically leapt into his embrace as she started sobbing again, which caused him to stagger a bit. After some uncertainty, he gently placed his hands on her shoulders as her arms tightly coiled around his waist. To say that he looked furious as he comforted her in his own way would have been an understatement.

* * *

When Nero awoke the next morning, he knocked on the door to Dante’s room; even though he was still hesitant to tell his father of his dreams, these visions were still nagging at him, and he felt like they wouldn’t stop until he told somebody.

“Yeah?” Dante’s voice called mid yawn.

“It’s me,” Nero said.

“All right…” Nero entered the room and saw that his uncle was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “So what’s wrong?”

“You know how you said you caught my old man talking in his sleep? Well, something similar has been happening to me: I’ve been having these weird dreams since the other night.”

“Ah… missing Kyrie, huh?”

“What? No. I mean, I am, but it’s not like that: these dreams I’ve been having… it’s my mom. It’s like I’m seeing things from her past with my dad. And I know it’s my mom because everything matches up, like how everyone hated her and she wanted to get the hell out of here.”

“Huh… so was she hot?” Nero furrowed his brow.

“Seriously?”

“What? I’m just trying to lighten the mood. Anyways, I don’t know why you’re telling me this instead of your old man.”

“And say ‘hey, Dad, I’ve been seeing some of your most private memories in my sleep, wanna sit down and talk about them’?”

“Guess you have a point.”

“But still… I couldn’t just keep it all inside. And seeing as how you’re his brother, I thought maybe you’d know what I should do with all this.”

“Well… I don’t see your dad lowering his guard anytime soon… but yesterday was a start, at least. Still, bringing that stuff up might cause him to close up again. Let’s just wait and see how things go from there. And if I know him well enough, he’s probably already wide awake, doing God knows what.”

“Yeah… I guess we should get ready too."


	4. The Lily

_“What is it your father did that produced all of these notes?”_

_They were alone in her house as evening arrived, and she was busy making dinner, roasted chicken with an assortment vegetables she bought just that morning at the market. He offered his assistance a number of times, but she was adamant that he stay put, saying that he was her guest._

_“He was a researcher for the Order,” she said as she checked on the oven. “A highly respected one, at that. He worked to discover ways that could eradicate demons from the earth for good, as is the will of Sparda.” That wasn’t quite what his father was like, but he refrained from saying so. “Still, despite my father being in demand so often, I never felt neglected; Even though he had raised me on his own since my mother died when I was five, he spent so much of his free time with me. I must have often given him quite a scare from being so energetic despite my health. But even so, I never felt restricted by him.” There was a slight pause as she wiped down the counter. “Then when I was fifteen, while waiting for him to come home, I received a visit from two researchers. I recognized them as people he worked with. They told me he was killed by demons that day, dying as he protected he fellow co-workers. Ever since then I’ve been alone… ah, I’m sorry, you probably didn’t want to hear my life story.”_

_“No,” Vergil quickly replied. “It’s fine.” She smiled at him before taking some dishes out of the cabinet. So she had lost a beloved parent, massacred by demons when she was out of sight, and now she was all alone… he could relate to that all too well. But he wasn’t about to tell her that; she didn’t need to know, and he was grateful that she made no attempts to pry into his personal business. She certainly didn’t need to know that he was a demon; he could only imagine how much she would detest him know that the same type of creature that killed her father was living under the same roof as her._

_Wait… why would it matter if she hated him? They would part ways once all was said and done. It mattered not what she thought of him, so long as she fulfilled her end of the bargain. Attachment to a human would mean willingly welcoming weakness, something he had absolutely no desire to do._

_Still… he admitted that her company was not unpleasant, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty with how she went above and beyond for him, even if it was because he was the only one who didn’t shun her on sight. And she was an attractive young woman, though only a fool would think otherwise. And when she smiled at him, with her eyes alighting, he swore he could feel his heart beating just a bit faster in his chest…_

_The sharp ringing of a bell pulled him from his thoughts._

_“Looks like dinner’s ready,” she said as she began opening the oven._

* * *

“Damn it, not again…” Vergil muttered as he stepped out of bed. Another night, another dream about her… this time about when the first sparks of affection for her lit up in his heart. He was beginning to regret becoming whole again if being plagued by her in his sleep again was what was in store for him, not to mention his new “companion”. What he wouldn’t give to go back and tell his younger, much more foolish self to take her away from there as soon as he could, and forget her existence, that no matter what he may feel for her, it would be for the best for both of them… He really needed to stop thinking of “what if’s”.

“Pleasant dreams?” V asked as he leaned against an adjacent wall.

“You already know the answer to that. Now would you mind giving me a bit of privacy?”

“Don’t be so prudish; I have all of your memories, remember?” Vergil responded by glaring at him, which resulted in an exasperated sigh from V. “Oh, very well.” In an instant he was gone.

As Vergil went into the bathroom to change, wanting to ensure that V wouldn’t try to interrupt him, he remembered how he changed out her father’s clothes almost as soon as he arrived home; it was rather awkward, to say the least, to be enveloped in the scent of a strange man who was long dead, not to mention how the jacket was slightly too large for him. She always said the typical garb of Fortuna citizens were unbecoming of him, saying that the blue coat he always wore at home looked so handsome on him, and that she enjoyed seeing him wear it all the time…

“Just stop, already,” he said to himself as he combed through his hair with his fingers. “All of this will just distract you.”

* * *

“Wait, Lady did _what_ with Dante’s magazines? Oh man, he’s gonna be pissed when we get home.”

Nero was currently talking on the phone with Kyrie as Dante was busy negotiating with Nico. The young devil hunter laughed as he leaned against the phone booth, allowing himself to have a bit of reprieve with his beloved, as though there weren’t in the middle of a gravely serious assignment. “All right, I’ll let you get back to work. I’ll talk to you soon.” The phone hung up with a hearty _click._

“You’ll only give her death,” Vergil said. Nero looked over and saw his father leaned against a nearby wall, arms crossed and still in the same position he was in ten minutes ago.

“What are you talking about?” Nero asked.

“My mother was weak, just as your own was. And now you have Kyrie… it must be the fate of the Sparda bloodline to allow themselves to hold affection for someone who is so much weaker than they are, only to fail them in the end…”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m only saying that you should prepare yourself for devastation while you can.” Nero grumbled at his father’s remark; was he seriously trying to insinuate that Nero was dooming Kyrie by being with her? That things would be better for the both of them if they weren’t together? But he held his tongue, trying to have a bit more sympathy for his father, in the hopes that he might just open up again.

“Your mother,” Vergil said after a moment of hesitation, “she was probably the weakest human I ever met; she tired easily and even mild illness for most other humans would cause her to become bedridden for almost week.” It was at that point Dante returned. Nero was afraid that his father would close up again, but he continued. “She nearly died bringing you into this world.”

“What?”

“She fell unconscious almost immediately after going into labor and had to have an emergency caesarean. I would have been there with her, but I was forbidden. As much as I would have liked to have forced my way through anyways, they were quite adamant, and I wasn’t about to put her life in more risk than it already was. So neither of us were there to see you take your first breath… it was something your mother was particularly regretful about…”

“Well…” Nero said, trying to find the right words. “Stuff like that… I mean, it’s nice and all, but that’s not what’s most important…” There was pause, as though all three of them were trying to figure out what to say next.

“’Nero’ wasn’t the name that we gave you,” Vergil finally said. “We had the name ‘Augustine’ planned early on.”

“Wait,” Dante said, trying his best to withhold his laughter, “his name was supposed to be ‘Augustine’?”

“It was her father’s name,” Vergil retorted with a bit of indignation. “She’s the one that suggested it.”

“I mean… no offense to her, but it’s hard to imagine him as anything except ‘Nero’.” For the briefest moment, Vergil looked a bit wistful.

“We should go,” he quickly said. “We’ve already wasted enough time.”

So Nero was wanted… for as long as he could remember, he thought he was abandoned, that neither one of his parents gave a damn about him, which was why he was dropped off at the orphanage’s doorstep. Then, when he met his father, he thought perhaps that his old man simply didn’t know he existed, and he just had a fling with some girl a long time ago that resulted in an unwanted child. But now he knew the truth, that even if he was an accident, he was wanted all the same. And knowing that his father stayed with his frail mother, knowing that he did this despite how much he despised weakness of any kind… he must have truly cared for her.

And his name… even his name wasn’t what he thought it was. His name was supposed to have meaning, but why was he called “Nero” instead? Surely the hospital would have had his birth records, which would have had the name “Augustine”. Not that he ever saw them… Was his name change one final affront to his mother by the people who despised her so?

He admitted he was grateful that his father was finally opening up some more. But there were still so many things that were answered. _What are you hiding, Dad?_

This time they encountered Algea in the main plaza, surrounded by broken wooden benches and cracked cobblestone. Once again the three defeated her, even though they knew it was temporary.

“At least everyone can have a bit of peace till tomorrow,” Dante said.

They met with Atticus at the inn, hoping that he had better luck with finding information that could help that. Unfortunately, he too turned up empty-handed.

“I won’t stop trying, though, I promise,” he replied. “I won’t rest until this threat is gone for good.”

By this time, Vergil had grown to anticipate V waiting for him in his room, which is why he ignored his other half as he sat on the side of his bed, even as he was indulging in some bright red strawberries.

“Care for one?” he asked, extending his hand in offering as it held the plump fruit. “They’re at the peak of ripeness.”

“You should know I never cared for those,” Vergil replied as he sat at his desk.

“I just thought you might want to try one for old time’s sake.”

Vergil tried to push his thoughts away from her again, but the sweet scent of the strawberries drew him back to how she always had a bundle of them in the refrigerator. And when she was pregnant, she must have eaten ten of them a day, to the point where her breath constantly smelled and tasted of them. It was probably the only time he could more than just tolerate the taste of them…

He let out an agitated sigh as he flipped open his book of William Blake poetry, trying not to think of how his room now reeked of the fruity scent. Perhaps he could find a bit of relaxation and distraction in these words…

“I’m afraid not even William Blake can save you,” V said as he strode towards him. Vergil looked down and furrowed his brow in irritation; of course this would be the one he opens up to:

_The modest Rose puts forth a thorn:_

_The humble Sheep, a threat’ning horn:_

_While the Lily white, shall in Love delight,_

_Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright._

“That was one of her favorites,” V said with a melancholy smile, “and it fit her so well: her love for you was nothing short of pure and all-encompassing. She loved both the human and demon sides of you, knowing that one would never be without the other. Even though she often asked of your past that you stubbornly kept locked away, it was only so that she could help heal your pain that she could see in your eyes every time you gazed at her. Everyone gossiped about her relationship with the unfamiliar man who arm she always held, of course, but she never once even considered leaving your side, even when it just so happened she was noticeably with child right after marrying him, and women would interrogate her regarding the identity of the father… And yet, even though she would never stop yearning for escape, she would have been content to stay in Fortuna forever if it meant you were there with her.”

“That’s enough,” Vergil curtly said as he placed the book in the topmost drawer.

“Vergil…” V said as he watched him pace around the room, “you’re going to drive yourself mad trying to put her from your mind; she left such an impression in your life, and a part of her will always find its way into whatever you do. Denial will only prolong your pain.”

“Just leave me in peace!” Vergil shouted, his temper finally reaching the breaking point. But no one was there, and there was no sign that there ever was, the bedsheets still left unwrinkled. Even the scent of strawberries had faded. He groaned as he sat on the side of the bed, dropping his head into his hands. He had a feeling his struggles would only get worse before they got better.

* * *

_What was he doing?_

_Why did he let himself develop these feelings? They were only going to hold him back. The only reason he had come to this island in the first place was to find a way to gain the strength that his father was so feared for. Affection was a distraction, a weakness, something that repulsed him more than anything else._

_And yet… once he had a taste of it, he never wanted to be without it._

_He couldn’t quite put the feelings she gave him into words, but he knew that he felt strangely at peace when he was with her, as though her smile could melt away the pain of his past, even for just a moment. And the thought of any harm coming to her gave him an immense feeling of dread, which also led to an intense desire to protect her, so that she would always be safe…_

_He should leave her now, while he still had the chance, leave both of them with a few happy memories, and nothing more. Everything had happened so fast… surely what he felt was simply infatuation, the foolish emotion that humans so often mistook for love. He needed to press forward, and she would only weigh him down…_

_At least, that’s what he told himself._

_But who was he fooling? Certainly not himself. The truth was, he was selfish; he never wanted to be without her, never wanted anyone else to have her, even though he knew damn well that he wasn’t strong enough to protect her. Yes, it was for her sake that he should leave; if he distanced himself from her, then no one would see her as a target. She would be undoubtedly devastated, but it was for the best for both of them. Surely she would forget about him eventually, the only person who truly cared for her in so long, the demon whom she willingly embraced, even though she had every reason to hate him for what he was, the one who currently held her in his loving embrace as she lay her head against his chest while she peacefully slept…_

_Damn his humanity for allowing her into his heart, for making him feel sympathy for her, for letting these feelings grow, for creating this tether to him that refused to break… but perhaps… just this once… he could allow something more for himself, something more than the endless struggle for power…_

_“Vergil…?” she asked as she slowly stirred awake. “Is something wrong?”_

_“No,” he quickly replied. “It’s nothing…”_


	5. I'll Never Leave

_Alisha’s heart pounded as she ran through the streets, nearly tripping along the way. Just a few seconds ago she was about to buy some fruits at the market when she heard several sharp cries of terror. When she turned to the direction of the screams, she saw a horde of demons attacking a group of civilians. Without even thinking twice, she ran for her life, trying her best not to collide into any other feeling citizens._

_But quickly she was running out of breath, her chest aching and legs feeling like they would collapse under her at any moment. She glanced behind her and saw some Holy Knights making quick work of the demons in the distance. So she ran into a nearby alleyway, hoping to stay hidden until it was safe again._

_She collapsed to the ground as soon as she was concealed, grasping her chest as she desperately tried to catch her breath. Then a chill went down her spine when she heard a low, threatening growl. Slowly she turned her head and pure terror shot through her nerves, her eyes widening in fear. Standing just a few feet away from her was an enormous demon the size of a lion, and looked like one too. But its entire body was black as night, and its mane consisted of countless, wriggling appendages. Its blood red eyes locked onto its prey, and its enormous fangs looked as though it could tear her apart in seconds._

_She screamed as she tried to jump back to her feet, but she tripped over her legs before she could, landing hard on her knees. She pathetically tried to crawl away, but even that was too painful for her as a horrible pang rippled through her legs. Once more she looked behind her and saw that the demon almost looked as though it was enjoying watching its prey struggle before preparing to attack. She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the inevitable, and prayed that her death would be quick…_

_Then to her shock, she heard a loud roar of pain._

_She opened her eyes and gasped at what she was witnessing: the beastly demon that was about to rip her to shreds was now in combat with another demon that appeared vaguely human, one that was surrounded in a blue glow, and wielded a sword as it flawlessly countered each attack. Her mouth hung agape as she watched the battle before her, the humanoid demon making its target seem as though it were no more threatening than an insect. Only a few moments passed when the lion-like demon was defeated, vanishing into nothingness._

_Fear shot through her once more when the victorious demon turned its gaze towards her, terrified that she would be next. Then her eyes darted to the sword it wielded, a beautiful blade that she never saw him without…_

_“Vergil…” she said just above a whisper. He was demon… and yet all of her fear had dissolved when she realized it was him. Yes, he may have been a demon, but it was him all the same, and she knew he would never hurt her, not after he had allowed her to cry in his arms and never once doubted her innocence, even when everyone in Fortuna stood against her._

_For a moment it looked as though he was going to turn away from her. She tearfully ran up to him before he could, tears of relief and gratitude streaming down her cheeks as her arms wrapped around his waist._

_“What are you doing?” he asked as he looked down at her, his voice distorted._

_“Thank you,” she said as she looked back up at him. “I thought I was going to die.” She stood on the tips of her toes and held his face between her hands before she softly kissed him. Then once more she rested her head against his chest, letting his warmth comfort her._

_A moment later she felt his arms slowly embrace her, as though he were afraid he would hurt her, and she smiled when she felt his chin rest at the top of her head. How strange that this demon, something she had been raised since birth to hold nothing but contempt for, was now holding her in such a loving, caring manner, one that she eagerly accepted._

_Eventually she felt the radiating warmth fade away, and his arms slightly tightened themselves around her. She looked up and saw that he looked human again, and she gently stroked his smooth cheek as she admired the gaze of his icy blue eyes. She noticed that he was still wearing his blue coat, and his brown cloak looked as though it was hastily thrown on._

_“Are you able to walk home?” he asked._

_“I… I think so…” She separated from him and tried to walk, but she cringed in pain after taking a single step, and she unintentionally grabbed onto his coat for support._

_“Hold on,” he said. He unsheathed his sword and she watched in awe as he used to blade to cut open a portal right in front of them. She let out a tiny yelp when he scooped her into his arms before he carried her into the newly created passageway._

* * *

It was the first of several pleasant visions Nero had that night. The rest of them were simple moments of his mother and father living day by day. Vergil never hesitated in insisting that he help his mother in whatever she was doing whenever she became fatigued, even if it meant interrupting whatever research he was buried in. Whenever she would bring him tea as he studied, she would kiss his cheek before leaving, and he would caress her hand with his own when she touched his shoulder before she left. Citizens would whisper whenever the two of them were out together, wondering who the strange man this whore was with, but whenever she squeezed his arm a bit tighter, he would swiftly take her away from their prying eyes.

One night his mother lay still in bed, eyes closed, though it wasn’t quite clear if she was conscious or not. Every so often she would softly moan in discomfort, and there was a very light layer of sweat on her face. His father was slowly pacing around the bedroom with a book in hand, reciting William Blake poetry that Nero recognized. There were also a few poems that he was unfamiliar with. After finishing one last passage, Vergil quietly shut the book and looked towards her unmoving form before approaching her.

“You are my only joy,” he whispered in her ear. “And one day, illness will be nothing more than an unpleasant memory for you.” He kissed her forehead before the dream ended.

It was strange, to say the least, to see Vergil outside of his cold, aloof demeanor, to see him amicable and even affectionate towards another. It was as though he was a completely different person, but at the same time it was still just one side of the same coin. But as weird as it was, it was still oddly endearing to see that his parents were happy together.

But for as pleasant as these memories were, a heavy sense of dread lingered over Nero; he knew that none of this would last. After all, if it did, he wouldn’t be in the situation he was in right now. He was not looking forward to what would be in store. Even though he knew that finding the truth meant knowing the good and the bad, he was almost frightened of what was to come.

* * *

“You were talking in your sleep again last night,” V said as he was perched on Vergil’s desk. “You said ‘No… it’s nothing’… you were dreaming of the first night you spent in her bed, weren’t you?”

“I thought I told you to leave me in peace,” Vergil coldly replied as he slipped on his coat. V shook his head.

“I don’t know how you can make so much progress, and yet somehow always find yourself back at square one.” A second later, he disappeared, his frustration finally getting the better of him.

Too young, too foolish the both of them were, too fast she trusted him… no, it wasn’t her fault. It was he that surrendered to his impulses too quickly, filling her head with unattainable promises of freedom, and allowing her to trust him as much as she did in such a short amount of time. But it didn’t matter now, not when he had more pressing matters…

* * *

The demons were noticeably stronger this time, and more plentiful, though they were still no match for the three of them as they made their way to the church. At this time of day it would normally be full of people who still held devotion to Sparda, despite the Order’s influence shrinking significantly. Now the enormous cathedral was empty and littered with broken pews as Algea waited for them.

“Aw, babe, you were waiting for me?” Dante said with false flattery. “I’m touched.”

She too was quite stronger, her strikes quicker and attacks cutting deeper. Even her screams were shriller as they caused all three of them to stagger, with Nero nearly being knocked to his feet. But nonetheless he found the strength to deal the final blow. But as she vanished, he heard something strange, just barely above a whisper:

_“Help me…”_

It caused him to swiftly back away from her disappearing form, wondering for a moment if his ears were deceiving him.

“You okay?” Dante asked.

“Did you hear that?” Nero replied.

“Hear what?”

“It was her… she said, ‘help me’.”

“You sure you’re feeling okay?”

“I swear, that’s what she said; there’s no way it wasn’t her.”

“She’s probably trying to deceive you,” Vergil said. “Don’t give her that chance.” An audible bit of shuffling alerted the three, but they were only greeted by Atticus, his arms raised to show that he wasn’t a threat.

“It’s only me,” he said. “I was hoping that there would be something here to assist with our problem, but then she attacked, which is why I was hiding. Good thing you came along when you did.”

“So did you find anything?” Dante asked. Atticus shook his head.

“I’m afraid not. But I promise you my investigations are far from over.” After he left, silenced lingered through the brightly illuminated church.

“So…” Nero finally said, hoping he could pry some more information from his father. “I remember that it until fairly recently, kids who were born out of wedlock would get sent to the orphanage until their parents got married. Well, if they did, I guess. And since you and my mom had a name planned for me, that must have meant that you planned to stay together. So does that means you two were married?”

“We were,” Vergil replied. Dante let out a light chuckle.

“My big brother tying the knot before I did,” he said. “Can’t say I thought that would ever happen.” It was then that Nero realized that his parents were younger than he was when they got married. Meanwhile, there were still things that he and Kyrie were planning to do before settling down.

“Guess I kinda pushed you into that, huh?” he said.

“We were already living as a husband and wife would beforehand,” Vergil answered. “I was hoping to marry her somewhere outside of Fortuna once what I needed to do here was all said and done, but things changed. And given her particularly vulnerable condition, she was forced to stay here longer than I would have liked.”

“Was there anywhere in particular you wanted to take her?” Dante asked.

“I had planned to take her to the cottage by the lake where you and I would spend our summers. It would have only been temporary, of course, until I could make more permanent arrangements.”

“Well, I’m sure she would have liked that a lot.” A hint of remorse lingered in Vergil’s eyes.

“We should clear out any demons that are still out there,” he quickly said. “They’ll be less trouble for us tomorrow.”

So Nero finally knew that he was an accident… but somehow that didn’t seem to bother him all that much. He was more interested in the fact that his parents wanted to be together, and wanted him, for that matter. Even if they had to get married due to circumstances, at least it wasn’t simply for his sake.

So what went wrong?

The three eliminated whatever demons were in their path until there were none left, which left them in the streets well into the night. When Vergil returned to his room, V was there as usual, looking smug as ever.

“You’re finally opening up more,” he said as Vergil sat at his desk. “You may be too blind to see it, but both your brother and son appreciate it greatly. If only you could understand how it’s helping you as well.”

Vergil simply replied with a soft grunt. Back then, settling down was the last thing on his mind. And yet, this single woman somehow made his life turn around in the most unexpected ways…

He remembered that she eventually started asking more personal questions about him. It wasn’t a surprise, since he said very little of who he was to her. Even the fact that he was a demon was revealed to her by accident. That incident was probably the tipping point that led her to asking more about him. Not that he ever blamed her for it; she did have right to ask these questions to him, and the right to know more about him, for that matter.

But time and time again, he would avoid her inquiries; she was probably frustrated after asking so many times, but more often than not she looked sad more than anything. She said she could tell that there was so much sorrow in his eyes, and all she wanted to do was help him. And he had no doubt that her intenions were pure. But still, she didn’t need to know that he was the son of the demon she and everyone else in Fortuna worshipped as a god, or that he was stalling for time with Arkham, who was growing increasingly impatient with him; if she were to know, he would be putting her in immense danger.

She also didn’t need to know of the tragic and untimely death of his mother, or that he had a brother somewhere out in the world. At least, not yet; his immediately priority was her well-being, and he didn’t want to burden her sympathies with his own problems.

She certainly didn’t need to know of all the atrocities he committed in the name of gaining more power; it was nothing short of a miracle that she embraced him despite his demonic heritage. If she knew, she would undoubtedly think him a monster, and would leave him forever. Was it selfish of him? Perhaps... no, it definitely was...

Of course, if she didn’t think of him as a monster then, she would certainly call him one now; he took countless lives in Red Grave City, and destroyed it beyond recognition. He severed himself from his humanity, cutting away the memories of her with it. And then he tore off his- their son’s arm off without a second thought, the child she loved so dearly and had so many hopes for… if she walked through the door at this very moment, and said that she wished he was dead, he wouldn’t blame her in the slightest.

All of this was helping him? What nonsense.

* * *

_It was the third day in a row Alisha had vomited, and panic shot through her veins as she coughed up the last bit of bile from her throat. She thought at first perhaps she was just becoming ill again, and that it would pass soon enough. But this in addition to her dizzy spell the previous night that nearly made her collapse could only mean one thing…_

_She cursed herself for foolishness; why wasn’t she more careful? She knew he wouldn’t want to be tied down with a child, not when he was still devoting himself to research hours and hours on end per day, trying to find ways to become more powerful by studying Sparda’s ways, he said. He was already sacrificing precious research time just by being with her. He would never want to be burdened with a child…_

_For the first time in so long she felt happiness again, knowing that there was someone who cared for her instead of looking at her with disgust. She never would have imagined that the stranger she saw as an escape could bring so much joy in her life… and now she was going to lose it because of her stupidity…_

_“Alisha, is everything all right?” She could hear his footsteps quickly approaching._

_“Go away,” she said as she tried to withhold her tears. She heard his footfalls come to a stop and felt his hand touch her shoulder._

_“Are you ill? Do you need a doctor?”_

_“I said go away!” she cried as she swatted his hand away._

_“Alisha, if you’re ill then-“_

_“I’m pregnant!” She quickly turned to face him, eyes fully welled up with tears as she saw his startled expression. “And… I won’t try to convince to you carry this burden… just please… take me someplace away from here before you leave me…” For a moment there was silence as his expression softened._

_“I suspected as much,” he finally said._

_“Wh… What?”_

_“I could tell something was different about your scent a few days ago. But it was so early that I didn’t know for sure.”_

_“Then… why are you still here?” She heard him sigh with a slight hint of disappointment._

_“Did you truly think I would leave you after all of this? That after everything that’s happened, I would abandon you?”_

_“I…” He bent down by her side and slowly helped her to her feet before gently guiding her to the sofa._

_“I’ll take you to a doctor tomorrow. In the meantime you should rest.”_


	6. Second Guesses

Another night, another series of dreams for Nero. The doctor eyed his mother and father suspiciously when she told him that she was there because she was pregnant, but Vergil’s scowl made the physician a bit nicer towards her as he led her to the examination room. After they had finished, the doctor informed the two of them that it was imperative that she have as little physical and mental stress as possible. Even her job at the library would have to be put on hold. And of course, traveling was completely out of the question.

Afterwards, she hesitantly informed Vergil that their child would be sent to the orphanage unless they were married. She looked guilty for having to tie him down once more, but he reassured her, saying that he only wished he could have done so outside of Fortuna.

So one week later they were married in a small ceremony, where the high priests were witnesses. They exchanged silver rings, something that Nero realized was absent on his father’s finger. She hoped that being married before she started showing would keep whispers at bay, but she soon realized that it was inevitable that people would talk about her after marrying someone who was a stranger to Fortuna, especially so quickly. It left her dejected that no matter what she did, she could never escape their scrutiny, but nonetheless she tried her best to think only of the future, where she could live somewhere where no one knew who she was.

Whether at home or out and about, Vergil never left her side, and took meticulous care in making sure she was safe and that her stress was minimal, including insisting that he do all of her chores while she rested. She often teased him for it, saying that she never would have guessed getting pregnant was what it took to make a demon serve her hand and foot.

“I know that this life isn’t ideal,” he said with remorse. “But once I gain the power of Sparda, I promise you will want for nothing.” She giggled at his remark.

“I don’t think such a thing is possible even for you.”

Before long, she was the subject of many more stares thanks to the noticeable swelling at her midsection. People would often whisper among themselves, even questioning if the child growing inside of her was even her husband’s.

“I suppose it was only a matter of time.”

“I can only imagine what’s in store for that child.”

“That poor fellow’s going to be in for quite the surprise if he expects fidelity from her.”

Vergil reached for the hilt of his blade, but Alisha grabbed his hand, and he reluctantly ignored any and all disparaging remarks.

It was not long before she started asking questions about his past; she would ask about his family, what he was doing before he arrived in Fortuna, and what he planned to do after what was said and done, among others. But every time she would, he would avoid her questions, usually saying that it wasn’t important, that she should only worry about herself. It seemed dodging questions was something he was quite accustomed to.

“Vergil,” she would say to him, “please… I know you want to be strong for me, but I know you’re hiding some kind of pain… please, just let me help you.”

“Trust me,” he replied, “there are some things that are better left unsaid.” Each time he said that she looked sad and dejected, but soon enough she would find a reason to smile again as always.

One night she lay in bed ill again, her belly noticeable enough even from beneath the covers. His father sat at her side and held her hand in his, a somber expression on his face. It was something that Nero couldn’t have even imagined seeing as his mother weakly coughed, her face pale as she took shallow breaths. Vergil used his free hand to reach for the white cloth resting at the bedside table and wiped away the sweat on her brow with it.

“I’ll never leave your side,” he murmured. “I won’t make the same mistake twice.”

His father's devotion to her almost made Nero feel ill in his stomach; it was clear as day that his father loved her more than anything, and he was even willing to put his insatiable chase for power on hold for her. Obviously he must have tried his damnedest to keep her safe, but somewhere along the line he failed. Having to live with the failure to save someone he cared about was something Nero was all too familiar with. Of course, losing the love of your life and the mother of your child after having so many hopes and dreams was something he couldn’t quite relate to, but if his father could just tell him what it felt like, maybe his brother and son could understand, even if only a little bit, and help him recover.

* * *

“Do you remember what one of the most important things you were researching here at the time?” V asked. They were currently on the hunt for Algea again. It seemed that the demons they encountered had grown marginally stronger since the previous day, but it mattered not; all that was important was that they were dead.

“Forgive me if I don’t have time to reminisce at the moment,” Vergil retorted as he sliced through a demon.

“You were trying to discover a way to unlock your father’s long sealed powers with that Arkham fellow. You communicated with him quite often, sharing what you discovered. But the time it took for you to call him again grew longer as the days went by, much to his displeasure. As I recall, he was quite infuriated when the few times you did call was to tell him that you needed more time. That was a lie, of course; in truth, you were too busy caring for her, neglecting your research so that you could make sure she was safe. Even when you did eventually find everything that you needed to know, you continued to keep him waiting; after all, you couldn’t very well complete such an arduous task and leave her on her own while she was going through a rather taxing pregnancy and subsequent birth. Not to mention the fact that you refused to let her out of your sight, lest history repeat itself.”

V continued to follow Vergil even after all of the demons were defeated, and the three continued on their way. “It truly is the mark of true love, to sacrifice your own desires for the well-being of the one that holds your heart. In fact, you were even beginning to second guess your unending struggle for power; you began to realize that this pursuit would only force you to constantly spend time away from her, and you loved her far too much to force her to endure such a fate. You thought, perhaps, you could resign yourself to a peaceful existence after you took you and your son someplace far away, but all the same promising yourself to never let your guard down. Sadly…” V’s smug demeanor fell, and was replaced with regret. “…that wasn’t the case.”

Algea was waiting for them at a plaza with an enormous fountain in the center, and greeted them with a shrill cry that managed to leave tiny cracks in the cobblestone beneath their feet. Then she suddenly lunged at Vergil, impaling him against a wall through his shoulder with her talons.

“Verge!” Dante cried as he ran towards them. Vergil simply growled before stabbing her through the chest and kicking her off, her claws dripping with blood as she was knocked down. Quickly she returned to her feet, and gave Dante a good scratch on the face.

“Ouch,” he said as he wiped away the blood. “Not bad.”

The battle was a considerable struggle, at least compared to the last times they fought her, but once again she was defeated, with Dante stabbing her through the back and letting her fall off his blade.

 _“Please…”_ Nero heard.

“Huh?” he said.

 _“Please… don’t give up on your father…”_ Her words left him standing dumbfounded as she disappeared.

“Hey, still with us?” Dante asked.

“Y-Yeah… sorry, just feeling a bit tired, I guess.” Nero had a feeling that they wouldn’t believe him if he told them what he just heard, or at least seem it as anything else by her trying to deceive him. That voice… it was clearer now. Could it somehow have been his mother? Or was this just a trap?

* * *

_Alisha’s eyes slowly opened, her vision greeting with a bright light above her, and the air smelled of sterilizing chemicals. Her mind was foggy, until she heard a strange voice._

_“Ah, good, you’re awake,” it said. She turned her head and saw a man and a woman standing across from her, both wearing white medical uniforms._

_The last things she remembered was a horrible, sharp pain at her midsection, so intense that she grabbed onto the edge of the kitchen table to keep herself from falling as she cried out. Then she saw black spots in her vision, and she began to feel lightheaded. The very last thing she saw was Vergil running towards her as everything went dark._

_The sharp pain had ceased, but now there was a dull, throbbing ache at her belly... that could only mean one thing…_

_“My… my baby…” she said as she struggled to speak. “Where is he? Where did you take him?!” The doctor gently hushed her._

_“It’s all right,” he said. “He’s here.” She heard a tiny crying sound nearby, which prompted the woman to walk behind her. A few seconds later, she saw the woman carrying a small, wriggling bundle in her arms, wrapped snugly in white fabric. The woman gently placed the bundle in Alisha’s arms, and she couldn’t stifle her gasp when her eyes first met her child._

_He was nothing short of perfect… she was so happy that he looked just like his Papa, especially his beautiful blue eyes, and already he had a soft crown of white hair. Somehow he was even more than she ever would have imagined, and she smiled as tears welled in her eyes, hugging him close to her chest._

_“He was born three hours ago,” the man said. “We had to deliver him via caesarean.” Alisha’s joy faltered a bit when she realized that she wasn’t awake to see him cry for the first time, but she tried not to let it ruin this moment. “It took us quite the effort to convince him to stay behind in the waiting room; would you like us to bring him here?”_

_“Yes,” she replied, her sight not once diverting from her child. “Please.” She kissed his soft forehead and he nuzzled against her breast._

_“Alisha,” she heard Vergil’s voice call. She looked up and saw him rushing into the room. “Are you all right?”_

_“Yes, I am,” she quickly replied. “Look…” He sat down on the seat at her bedside and peered at bundle in her arms. She giggled at his slightly bewildered expression, and how it looked as though he was about say something, but it sounded like the words were caught in his throat. “Isn’t he perfect? Here, why don’t you hold him?”_

_“I-“ Vergil tried to protest, but she was already placing him in his arms._

_“You don’t need to be afraid; they’re stronger than they look.” She gently arranged Vergil’s arms so that they were providing adequate support. “See? He already knows who his Papa is…”_

_For a moment Vergil said nothing as he watched his son stir in his arms. Then he looked back up at her._

_“They told me there were complications… that you nearly died for him…” She softly grasped his hand._

_“But everything’s fine now… and as long as you’re with me, it always will be.”_


	7. Stay With Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just can't stop writing, it seems.

_Who told you so, dilly dilly, who told you so?_

_'Twas mine own heart, dilly dilly, that told me so…_

_Alisha had just returned home from a two week stay at the hospital, the doctors wanting to make sure there were no further complications. Now she was sitting on the rocking chair in her father’s room that was now a temporary nursery, singing as she soothed her crying child._

_“Alisha,” Vergil said as he entered the room, “you should be in bed resting.”_

_“I think I’ve already had my fair share of resting, and then some,” she said with laugh. “Besides, sitting here isn’t exactly strenuous.” He sat on the side of the bed, and she noticed the solemn look on his face as he looked to his son. “Vergil, is something wrong?”_

_“I don’t want to lose this…” he replied._

_“What do you mean?”_

_“I never thought I would want this… to have a family… I thought attachment was a weakness… but now that I have it, I don’t know if I’m strong enough to keep it. You both deserve someone who can protect you… and I don’t know if I can do that…” She slowly stood up from the rocking chair before joining him on the bedside, taking her hand in his._

_“Vergil… I’m grateful that you want to protect us; but this constant fear is only hurting you. I’ve seen how strong you are, and I trust you with every fiber of my being. Please, let that be enough.” She leaned towards him and kissed his cheek, but his somber expression remained._

* * *

Nero’s heart felt as heavy as stone as he thought about the dream he had; seeing these memories first hand made him feel as though he was right there with his parents, and more and more he understood how his father must have felt after his mother’s death; he promised to protect her, and was scared to death by the fact that she put so much trust in him. But even so, turning cold as ice wasn’t the answer… if only he could get him to see that.

This time the battle with Algea was downright exhausting; her speed made her attacks difficult to dodge, and each one of them were scratched a few times. Her screams made windows shatter, and made their heads throb long after she was done. Nero was even impaled in the chest, her talons sinking in deep before she withdrew them, and he coughed up blood when he fell to the ground.

“Damn it!” he hissed as he pulled himself back to his feet, and another scream almost knocked him back down.

They long lost track of how long the battle lasted, but after much bloodshed she was defeated once more.

 _“Please…”_ Nero heard her say as she faded away. _“…make sure his heart stays open…”_

The small cluster of houses that they were surrounded by were in a fairly out of the way region of Fortuna, and each of the sustained some damage thanks to Algea. Still, they remained intact for the most part.

“We gotta figure out a way to get rid of her for good,” Dante said. “We’re going to be screwed if this pattern continues.” He looked over to Vergil and noticed that he was staring at one of the houses. “You okay?”

“This was where she lived,” he said. “Where we lived…”

 _Could she have lead us her on purpose?_ Nero thought.

“Do wanna go inside?” Dante asked as he approached his brother. For a moment it looked as though Vergil was about step closer, but stopped himself before he could take a step.

“No,” he replied as he quickly turned away. But he was halted by a firm grip of his arm.

“I know this is hard,” Nero said. “But I really think you should do this. You’ve already done a lot with talking about her; you shouldn’t stop now.” Vergil sighed as his son released his arm.

“Fine,” he finally said. He stepped up to the door and made quick work of the lock. The door opened with a loud creak that echoed through the empty home.

There was quite a bit of debris scattered around the living room, and there was a gaping hole at the rear of the house. But otherwise, everything was as Vergil remembered it. The furniture was arranged as it always was, and the books in the shelf were in the same particular order. 

“This place isn’t bad,” Dante said as he carefully stepped around the debris. “Cozy, even.” Then his eye was drawn to a picture frame that was knocked down from a shelf that was now on the floor below it. “Hey, Verge, I think you might wanna see this.” He handed the frame to his brother, who turned it face up. It was a sepia tone photograph of him and Alisha. She was sitting in the rocking chair with a warm smile on her face while he stood by her side with a hand on the back of the chair, looking stoic as always.

“This was taken shortly after we were married,” he said as Nero came around to take a look. “She found her father’s old camera and insisted we take one.”

“She looked pretty happy with you,” Dante said. Vergil said nothing as he made his way into her father’s bedroom. On the desk were still the heavy books that he read and reread more times than he could count. Across from the desk were the bed, rocking chair, and bassinet. She always told him not to stay up too late, teasingly warning that his skin would pay the price for it…

When he made his way into the kitchen, he opened the cupboard doors. Everything was perfectly organized, as she always had them, right down to the row of the various tins of tea. The earl gray one was the lightest; it was his favorite, and she often made it for him as he studied. Strange... he had almost forgotten what it tasted like, and he wasn't sure if he would still enjoy it if he had it now.

“Domestic life, huh?” Nero said as he circled the table. “Must have been nice to have that with her…” Vergil remained silent as he closed the cupboard and made his way to their bedroom. The bedsheets were still well made, as though they were arranged this morning. On the dresser was her hairbrush, and when he took a closer look he noticed that it still had a few strands of her hair, the last physical proof of her body existing in this world. When he turned around, he saw his reflection in the full length mirror. The face that somehow brought her so much happiness only filled his heart with pure hatred, and he was tempted to ruin the same face that she called handsome so many times; after all, what was the point if she wasn't there to see it?

“You should have let her go when you had the chance,” he told himself.

When he went back into the living room, Dante was leaning against the wall closest to the couch and Nero was examining a photograph. It was the one of her when she was seven years old, sitting on her father’s lap.

“So…” Nero said as he put the photo back on the shelf. “What happened here that caused… all of this?”

Vergil looked at all the debris that lingered in the living room, then at the gaping hole in the wall once more. He should have been able to prevent this; he should have been able to keep her safe from any and all danger. It was what he promised her many times, and many times she unquestionably trusted him. He was stronger than any human or demon that crossed his path, and he should have more than easily been able to protect her from harm.

But he didn’t.

Her life ended because of him. Her life ended because he was foolish enough to make promises he couldn’t keep. What a fool he was to think he deserved to have her, that he would ever be strong enough to protect someone so weak, that he actually thought he could have such happiness beyond any words. If only he were wise enough at the time to realize that strength was all that mattered, and weakness only brought pain…

“I failed her,” Vergil finally replied before stepping out the door.

When they returned to the inn, the receptionist told them that Atticus had called and wanted to speak to them as soon as possible. When Dante returned the call, Atticus enthusiastically told him that he found something that just might be the key for getting rid of Algea for good, and that he wanted to meet with them first thing tomorrow.

“Finally, something that can help us,” Dante said.

Vergil placed the framed photo on his desk before resting on the bed. As much as it pained him to look at, he didn't have the heart to leave it behind. Perhaps if things could get resolved tomorrow, they could finally leave this place for good.

* * *

_It all happened so fast._

_One moment she was resting on the bed in her father’s room as her child slept and her husband studied. She was just beginning to doze off, letting her mind wander into sleep. Then she was suddenly jolted awake by a loud noise that sounded like it came from across the house, followed by a series of threatening cries. Vergil immediately jumped to his feet and withdrew Yamato as she quickly gathered her son in her arms as he wailed._

_“Vergil?” she called. “What’s going on?” She screamed when saw a demon leap to attack her, before it was quickly sliced apart by Vergil._

_“We need to go,” Vergil said as he grabbed her hand. “Now!”_

_He quickly pulled her out of the room and she gasped when she saw the horde of demons that were inside her home, debris tossed everywhere in the living room. He cut through each demon in his path as he ran out the large hole in the back of the house._

_The streets were littered with powerful demons, so many that even the Holy Knights were struggling to keep them at bay, and dozens of people were screaming in terror as they were being attacked. Without even thinking, Vergil ran as fast as he could without dragging her, and destroyed any demon that tried to stop him, not once halting._

_She desperately tried to keep up, but of course she soon became fatigued, and her hand slipped out of his as she gasped for breath. He stopped in his tracks and swiftly turned around before gathering her in his arms. She held onto her son tight as Vergil started running again, closing her eyes so that she wouldn’t be able to see the demons that he was forced to evade._

_“Damn it, where do they keep coming from?!” He cursed as he tried to find anywhere that looked even remotely secluded. She felt him take several sharp turns, but he still didn’t slow down, and she heard him growl in frustration as searched for someplace safe._

_Finally, she felt him come to a stop. She opened her eyes and saw that they were in an alleyway, one that miraculous held no demons. He gently, but quickly placed her on her feet as he withdrew his blade again, preparing to open a portal to safety. Then she saw something rapidly approach behind him, sword raised in hand._

_“Vergil, turn around!” she screamed. He was just barely able to block the attack. Standing before him was a being in pure white, with an enormous pair of wings from its back, its face indistinguishable, and its form huge and threatening._

_“Out of the way, son of Sparda,” it said, its voice low and threatening. This creature didn’t look like any demon she had seen before, but she didn’t know what else it could be. But the only thing she could do was watch in horror as Vergil fought this mysterious enemy, and she tried the best she could to soothe her crying son._

_“It’ll be all right, little one,” she said with shaky voice as she held him close. “Just stay calm…”_

_But despite her calming words, she felt nothing but pure fear as she watched Vergil combat this unfamiliar foe. She watched as he struggled to block and dodge each attack, and too many times he was almost struck. She gasped when he was knocked to the ground, even though he quickly got back to his feet. Her breathing was rapid and short, and so were the tremors of her heart, but she knew the only thing that could keep her and her son safe was if she stayed put._

_Finally, Vergil made his opponent fall to the ground, exhausted and unmoving. Just as he was about to deal the final blow, a group of demons suddenly lunged towards her, making her scream. She tried to kick them away, but it did nothing to stop them. Quickly Vergil ran back to her, and destroyed the demons in an instant._

_“Are you all right?” he asked as he grasped her shoulders. She swiftly nodded her head. She watched as he prepared his blade once more to open a portal, to take them someplace safe…_

_Then she felt the most excruciating pain she ever felt in her life; She felt her midsection become impaled and sliced through, and her spine snapping apart like a twig. But somehow she couldn’t scream, and all that came out of her mouth was sound struggling to rise from her throat as her hold on her child tightened and made him cry even louder. She looked down and her eyes widened in terror at what she saw: through her stomach and her husband's was the strange demon’s blade, leaving bright red stains where the blade had cut through them._

_No… she couldn’t die now… not when she had a child who needed her, not when her husband needed her… She tried to say something, anything, but her voice failed her, as though panic had rendered her unable to speak._

_“I’m finishing what I started,” the foe said with a struggle before withdrawing his sword, blood dripping to the ground. A second later, it was finally dead._

_Her body fell forward into Vergil, no longer able to feel her legs. She vaguely felt his hand against the hole in her back, but she knew that it would do nothing to help; in just a few seconds she had already lost far too much blood._

_“Please, just stay with me…” he said as he tried to keep her upright. He used his free hand to at long last cut open a portal, and a few seconds later they arrived someplace quiet._

_He slowly laid her on the ground, hand still at the wound on her back, and above her she could see the long, cascading branches of a willow tree, and the sun ever so slightly shining through them. The air smelled sweet, like flowers; there must have been some nearby. It was a pleasant day, and yet she strangely felt cold…_

_She looked down and saw him applying pressure with his other hand to the wound at her stomach, his hand completely drenched in blood._

_“Vergil…” she said as she struggled to speak. “Our son… please… is he safe?”_

_She watched as he took the child from her arms, who was still crying. Though he was swaddled in black cloth, she could still distinguish a few splatters of blood._

_“He’s unharmed,” Vergil replied. She managed to summon enough strength to smile in relief._

_“Thank goodness…” In the distance she could hear the sound of gentle waves. “This is the place isn’t it? Where you said you wanted to take us when I recovered… it’s beautiful… I’m so happy I could see it before-“_

_“Damn it, don’t say it!” Vergil said as he took her hand in his. “You’re not going to die, I won’t let it happen!” In his eyes she could see tears that he must have been using all of his strength to hold back. Even now, he wanted to be strong for her, even when she could see that he knew the truth, and still he wanted to keep her safe when he knew it was futile…_

_“Vergil… we both know there’s no time left… that’s why… you brought me here… to show me… before I’m gone… thank you…” She slowly and shakily raised her hand so that she could stroke his cheek one last time, and wanted the last sight she saw to be the face of her beloved. Even as his eyes were welled with tears and sorrow, they were so beautiful, and she was just barely able to raise her hand enough to feel a few strands of his soft, ashen hair at her fingertips. “This time with you… I only wish I could have had more…” Suddenly her eyelids felt heavy, and she allowed them shut, and she was soon overwhelmed with a sense of peace as all the pain in her body faded away…_


	8. Revelations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time for a climatic chapter. Hopefully it's not disappointing.

_He did not know how long he had wept._

_It felt as though it were hours, but it very well could have been shorter. All he knew was that he had held both her and their son in his arms until every trace of warmth faded from her body, and even then he refused to let go. But now, he had no more tears left to shed._

_He finally forced himself to let go of her body, laying it on the ground gently as though making sure not to harm her. He placed his son nearby someplace safe before he parted the earth, and he lowered her body in the opening he made at the foot of the tree._

_He removed the silver ring at his finger before placing it on her thumb; after all, it was a sign of his promise to protect her, and he no longer had the right to wear it. He gently stroked her cheek one last time; the slight rosy hue was long gone and her skin was starting to become discolored, and yet her beauty remained. He was tempted to kiss her goodbye, but he decided against it; the thought of him daring to show such affection to her after what he had done repulsed him._

_“I’m sorry,” he whispered before he covered her body. He picked up his son, who was sleeping now. He had probably exhausted himself from crying so much._

_Even holding his own child filled him with disgust; these hands that were covered in her blood were holding the life that she and he created together, the life she grew in her body and nearly died for. How could he not be filled with repulsion when the same hands that were responsible for her death were now holding the child she loved with all her heart?_

_Perhaps if she were here, she would have begged him to raise their son without her. But what right did he have to be his father? He wasn’t strong enough to protect his mother, even though he never let her out of his sight; how could he possible protect this helpless infant? Even though he knew her love for him would be replaced for hate, he knew that if he took his son into his care, he would only suffer the same fate as his mother._

_It was why he opened a portal at the entrance of the orphanage. The rain soaked his entire body and strands of hair were obscuring his eyes, but he didn’t even feel it as he held his son close to his chest to shield him from the downpour. An immeasurable amount of guilt weighed heavy in his heart as he walked up the stairs, knowing that this was the place she most feared their son would end up. But this was the safest place for him, somewhere far away from his father, who let the child’s mother fall to her grave._

_Finally he reached the door, the awning large enough to keep the rain off the child. Vergil placed him on the ground as the boy slept; such a short time ago he was cradled safely in his mother’s arms, who kissed and sang to him as she showered him in her love. And now he would never know that love, because his father didn’t have the strength to protect the one he cherished above all._

_“Augustine…” he said as he looked at his son one last time, “perhaps one day you’ll find yourself far away from here, just as your mother wanted…” He knocked on the door three times before making his escape through a portal._

_Too late he realized what love brought; it only brought pain beyond comprehension, for one could never protect those that were weaker than them. Now he knew that strength alone was all that mattered; humanity was nothing more than weakness, and therefore so was love, for the sorrow that came with it was almost too much to bear._

_So he pressed forward, the unending struggle for power continuing once more._

* * *

Nero woke up with a start, suddenly sitting upright in his bed. A horrible pain ached in his chest as he felt tears slowly run down his cheek.

“Mom…” he said as he touched the wetness at his cheek.

Even though he had never met his mother, these dreams seemed as though he were a part of life for the entire time she knew his father, like he was a part of her family… and now he saw how she died, and how her first concern was the safety of her son…

It was so early in the morning that the sun had only just begun to rise, but he pounded on Dante’s door, knowing that he couldn’t keep these feeling bottled up. A few seconds later, he was at the door, hair still a mess as he yawned.

“Jeez, kid, a little early for a wake-up call, don’t you th-“ Before Dante finished, he saw the tears in his nephew’s eyes, and the shock and sadness in his face. “Why don’t you come inside?” Dante gestured for Nero to enter, who sat on the bed as his uncle shut the door. “Bad dreams?”

“My mom…” he replied as Dante took his seat at the desk chair. “I watched her die…” Dante’s eyes widened in shock for a moment, before becoming full of sympathy. “My old man… he tried to save her… he was so close… but he was just a second too late…”

Nero remained silent for a moment, trying to keep his composure. “And then… I watched him bury her underneath the tree where she died. And I saw him abandon me at the orphanage… and the weird thing is, I don’t hate him. I mean, I know I should; why the hell would he think leaving me there was better for me than raising his own son? But I can’t hate him. When she died, and after he cried his eyes out, he just looked so defeated, like he didn’t even have the strength to feel sad anymore, like he was just a hollow shell. And after I saw everything he did for her, how much he cared about her, only to lose her and have his worst fear come true… I just can’t bring myself to hate him for it…” Dante sighed in exhaustion, remembering the words his brother said so many years ago:

 _Might controls everything. And without it, you can’t protect anything._

“Damn it, bro,” he said as his hand curled into a fist. “If you had just said something, anything back then… you stupid, stubborn idiot…” His felt his eyes begin to water from anger and sympathy; his desire to hug his brother and to knock some sense into him with his fists were both equal.

Nero finally spoke again after wiping away his tears with his hand. “I think… I should tell him about this… these dreams.”

“That’s probably a good idea. Can’t say he’ll take it well, though.”

“I know. But it’s something I need to do.”

He decided that he would tell his father of his dreams after they met with Atticus; it was their most important priority at the moment, and it would give him more time to think about how he was going to bring it up.

They made their way to abandoned Fortuna Castle, where Atticus told them to meet in the underground laboratory, something that certainly brought back a lot of memories for Dante and Nero. Despite that, the two remained quiet for the most part, the revelations from earlier that day still fresh in their minds.

After making through way through the castle, they reached the containment room where they saw Atticus pacing around the chamber, surrounded by research equipment that was long out of use. When he saw them arrive, he stopped and turned towards them.

“Ah, good, you’re here,” he said. “You gentlemen have done a fine job with Algea.”

“Have we?” Dante asked. “I mean… every time we get rid of her, she just comes back stronger the next day.”

On the contrary; you’ve gone above and beyond what I expected of you.”

“I’m not following.” That was when Dante noticed an unusual gleam in the old man’s eye, and his lips turn upwards into a strange grin.

“You made quite a mess for our operations the last time you were here,” Atticus said as he gestured towards the tools surrounding them. “So many plans being forced to put on hold. But unlike the rest of my colleagues, I never gave up on the true purpose of the Order: to wield the power of Sparda so that all will know his wrath and divine justice. And you three have done such a fine job in assisting me; which is why I’m going to reward you with some knowledge.” Dante looked visibly agitated, but held his ground, letting the old man continue.

“Why don’t we start at the beginning?” he said. “It’ll make things easier to understand. Several years ago, we came into contact with an individual by the name of Arkham. He too, wanted to unlock Sparda’s strength, and claimed that he was in alliance with none other than our lord’s own son. At first we thought he was fool who was wasting our time, and could you blame us? But when he showed us information that we thought were well kept secrets, we quickly took interest in him.” Vergil’s hand reached for the hilt of his blade, which elicited a bemused grin from Atticus. “He told us that we could assist one another's common goals, to which we soon made an agreement to; after all, it’s not every day one comes in contact with someone who knows Sparda’s descendant. Of course, once he no longer served a purpose to us, we would have quickly disposed of him.”

“No honor among assholes, I see,” Dante interjected. Atticus simply chuckled before continuing.

“He told us that the son of Sparda came here to investigate our secrets, and that he was in close contact with him as he shared his discoveries. But then the communication between them was becoming sparser, which quite frustrated him. So he decided to see for himself what was causing these procrastinations. When he saw that his colleague was neglecting his initial purpose in favor of settling down with a young woman and procreating with her, he was furious. Which was where we came in.” Nero did not like the direction this was going in, especially when he saw his father beginning to withdraw his blade, but continued staying silent.

“He told us that if he wanted to obtain Sparda’s power, the girl would have to be eliminated, for she was a distraction to his partner’s goals. In exchange, he would relay his discoveries with us when his progress resumed. So we sent one of our earliest ascended colleagues to terminate the interfering wretch. He died in the process, but he completed his duty.”

Vergil shouted in rage, fury overtaking all reason, and began to charge towards Atticus, but he was stopped when Dante took his arm.

“Not yet,” Dante said as he struggled to keep his brother in place. “There’s still some things we don’t know. Then you can kick his ass.”

“Smart man,” Atticus replied with false flattery. “When we discovered that an infant that was left on the steps of the orphanage carried Sparda’s bloodline, we immediately destroyed all evidence of anything that could connect him to his parents. After all, if he knew, there would be… complications, if you will. Not to mention the fact that he could be useful to us in the future.”

“You son of a bitch,” Nero spat.

“But there was still more we needed to do; we attempted to locate the boy’s mother’s remains, wanting to study how her body reacted to carrying the spawn of such a powerful demon, as well as the fact that she was the one person who could make someone so power hungry put his pursuit on hold. After quite some time of searching, we eventually found and exhumed her from where she lay. The Earth had already began to claim her body, but there was still more than enough left to be preserved in our labs.” For a moment it looked like Vergil was to break free from his brother’s grip, but Dante refused to relent, even though he too looked enraged, and he looked as though was doing everything he could to stop himself from attacking Atticus as much as he was stopping his brother.

“After you meddled with our plans years ago, I continued the research that my cowardly colleagues abandoned. That was when I decided to put more focus on the girl’s remains; I knew that while she was alive, she suffered from poor constitution and often fell ill, but if the son of Sparda still harbored affection for her, I wondered if I could use that to my advantage. So I attempted an ascension ceremony of my own using her body. As for the results, well…” Nearby they heard Algea’s screams echo throughout the laboratory, which made Atticus grin with pride.

“You are one sick bastard,” Dante said.

“But don’t you find the end product… exquisite? Her body may have been weak, but thanks to the rage and sorrow that lay dormant in her heart until now, I made her into a powerful demon. Now that all three descendants of Sparda are here together, she will eliminate them all, including her beloved that sparked her fury and continues to stoke the flames each time she falls. I’d say that makes up for her meddling during her living days… something that runs in the family it seems…”

Before anyone could say anything else, she made her presence known in the containment room, her shrill cries ringing throughout the tight confines. Somehow she looked even more terrifying than before, as though rage and sorrow was radiating off her body, and her empty eyes piercing whatever she gazed at with the same sharpness of her talons. As they tried to defend themselves from her attacks, Atticus left the room with a smug grin.

“We’ll get him later,” Dante said as he blocked a strike of her claws. “We’re dead if he don’t worry about her first.”

As much Vergil tried to attack her, he only found his body using his blade to block her attacks and nothing more, which led him to getting scratched across the face a few times.

“This isn’t her, Verge! Not really!”

“I know, damn it!” Vergil shouted as his body refused to harm her once more. But no matter times he tried to attack her, to tell himself that this was nothing more than a hideous mutilation of the one loved, his focus was overwhelmed with guilt; the rage and sorrow that lingered within her fueled her immense power that he could see every time he looked into her vacant eyes. And it was because of him she was contorted into a demon whose sole purpose was destruction; he was the one that planted the seeds of her anger and sadness, and every time she was eliminated, her desire to destroy the one that ended her life made her return, unable to find peace. It was because of him that she suffered even in death.

The small room made the battle with her even more difficult than usual, not helped by the fact that she was stronger than ever. More than once someone got knocked across the room, scattering scientific equipment to the ground and breaking it, if her screams didn’t do so first. But after more injuries than they could count, she was defeated at last. And as soon as she was, Vergil ran straight into the direction of where Atticus escaped, Yamato tightly in his grip.

“Wait! Slow down!” Dante said as he and Nero followed.

After tracking him for several minutes, he finally found his target near the exit of the castle running away like a coward. He was immediately grabbed by the back of his collar by Vergil, who then proceeded to throw him against a wall hard enough for a cracking sound to come from his body. His body slumped to the ground, and he coughed up blood as the half demon approached him, a blue aura radiating from his form. Even so, Atticus simply looked up at him and grinned in defiance as blood dripped from his lip.

“Going to kill me, are you?” he said. “Fine. Just know I’m not the only one who hasn’t forgotten the Order’s goals. Someone else will come along when she destroys you, and the Order will rise to greatness.” Vergil responded by giving the old man a hard kick in the ribs, hard enough to make them snap apart, which made him howl in pain.

Dante and Nero finally caught up to Vergil just in time to witness the brutality in front of them. But neither of them said a word.

“She’ll keep coming back, you know,” Atticus said with extreme pain in his voice. “As long as her desire for vengeance lives, so shall she… what a change from the pathetic girl she once was…” Vergil kicked him again, this time in the abdomen, which made blood pour from the old man’s mouth as coughed. “She’s pathetic, just like her father… we knew he’d never approve of our true goals, but his intelligence was invaluable, so we kept much of our research out of his sight. When he discovered our secrets, it was already too late for him; his last words were begging us not to leave his poor, sick daughter parentless. Pathetic… just like her.”

In an instant, Vergil plunged the tip of his blade into Atticus’s neck, before slicing down his body until he reached his stomach, the old man choking on his own blood throughout the entire process. It was not long until he was dead, a puddle of blood quickly forming at his corpse.

After he sheathed his blade, Vergil looked towards his brother and son, their eyes still fixated on him.

“There’s something else you should know about your mother,” Vergil calmly said to Nero. “I killed her.”

“No you didn’t,” Nero quickly replied.

“What do you know? You weren’t there.”

“No, but I saw what happened.” Vergil huffed in disbelief. “Look… these past few days, I’ve been having these dreams about her, seeing things from her life with you. And I can prove they’re real: The first time she kissed you was when you rescued her from being torn apart by a demon, you read poetry to her when she was sick in bed…” Vergil said nothing, but Nero could tell that his father knew that his son was right. “And… you buried her under the tree near the cottage you talked about.” Vergil remained silent, struggling with what to make of this revelation.

“If what you say is true,” Vergil finally said, “then you should have seen how she paid for my failure with her life.”

“Just shut up, damn it! You think I don’t know what it’s like to live with the fact that someone I care about is dead because of me?! But I’m still here, aren’t I? Because this self-hating bullshit will just make my life miserable! Aren’t you tired of being depressed and angry all the time?” A low growl rose from his father’s throat.

“Do you know how many promises I made to her? How many times I swore I would protect her at all costs? And do you know of all the times she blindly trusted me to keep those promises? How many times she looked at me in unconditional faith? And now look what’s become of her. Do you think that this would have happened to her if I was strong enough to keep her safe? And look what I've done since she died; do you think if she were still here, knowing the lives I took and the misery I've caused, she would want anything to do with me?”

"Do you really think that she would want you to be like this? That after everything you've been through, that she wouldn't find a way to forgive you if you fought your damnedest for it?"

"What she would have wanted isn't going to bring her back!" Nero could just barely see his father’s eyes begin to well up with tears as he tried to regain his composure. “My mother sacrificed her life trying to save myself and my brother. Why couldn’t I have done the same for yours?”

* * *

The trip home was spent in silence. Nero kept searching his mind for the right words to his father, to say the right thing that would pull him out of his despair, but he always came up empty handed. Even Dante remained quiet, feeling as though he was caught in something he had no right to have any business in. There was no point in discussing how they would get rid of Algea for good, either; none of them knew where to even begin.

Vergil sat on the bed as soon as he returned to his room while V gave him a look of pity as he sat on the desk, devoid of any mocking or smugness.

“He knows everything now,” Vergil said without giving his other half the validation of facing him. “I hope you’re happy.” V responded by sighing in disappointment as he shook his head.

“You haven’t learned a thing…”


	9. Strength

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we're at the conclusion, or at least part of it. I hope you find it as satisfying to read as it was for me to write.

“And just what do you think you’re doing?”

As soon as Vergil woke up early as he always did, he pondered what Atticus had said the previous day as he prepared. If Algea’s purpose for existence was to exact vengeance on the one who killed her, then would his death lead to her resting at last and restoring peace to Fortuna?

Perhaps it was just wishful thinking on his part; if she, the real her, had asked him to die by his own hand in order to atone for his countless sins, he wouldn’t hesitate for a moment. And he was sure she wouldn’t have been the last person to wish him dead. Not that he could say for sure if this would put Algea’s terror to rest.

Still… it was the only lead any of them had. And it was something he was willing to do; how else could he possibly make amends with the world for the atrocities he brought upon it, and what he brought upon her? Even if she still persisted, at least he would have paid the debt for his sins.

Of course, if his brother and son knew of his plans, they would do everything in their power to prevent him from executing them, and then some. Knowing Dante, he would probably go so far as to knock his brother out and tie him up. Which was why he quietly left the inn, knowing that they would still be asleep, and searched the town for Algea.

“I’m going to set things right for once,” Vergil replied to V.

“By throwing this new life away that you’ve only just gained?”

“Would you rather have this place fall to ruin?”

“But you don’t even know if this will work.”

“Then I don’t suppose you have any better ideas.” V grumbled in frustration.

“Just please at least consider discussing this with your family; perhaps they’ll think of something.” Vergil chuckled at his other half’s naïve optimism as he continued walking, much to V’s agitation.

He finally heard a familiar scream coming from the marketplace, picking up his pace as he followed it. How appropriate… he was going to die in the very place where she first opened her heart to him. Not even he could have thought of a more eloquent end.

He saw her roaming the streets, broken stands and stalls surrounding her. It was then when he suddenly recalled the first time he wandered the city with her at his arm; it surprised him at first, but he didn’t reject her touch, especially after she leaned her head against him when evening had arrived, and the streets became barren.

The same feeling of peace she gave him in those moments was the same one he was feeling as he quietly approached her now.

“Vergil,” V said. “It’s not too late to turn back.” But he said nothing until he finally stopped.

“Alisha,” he said, “I’m here to set you free.”

She swiftly turned towards the sound of his voice and stared at him, as though making sure he was alone. Then she screamed the loudest he had ever heard before charging towards him…

* * *

_“Nero! Please, my son, listen to me!”_

_“Wha… Mom…? Is that you?”_

_“Yes, but I don’t have much time, so you must listen carefully; you must go to the marketplace immediately. Your father urgently needs you there! Please, my son, don’t waste any time!”_

That was what Nero heard in his sleep, and the instructions he followed as soon as he opened his eyes. He practically threw his clothes on before pounding on Dante’s door as hard as he could, to the point where he was surprised he didn't punch a hole in it.

“Dante! Open up! This is serious!” A few seconds later, the door opened, and he saw his uncle rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Yeah…?” Dante asked as he stretched his arms.

“Dante, my old man’s going to do something stupid, and we need to stop him now!” Nero ran through the hall and down the stairs to wait for him while Dante quickly shut the door, following his nephew as fast as he could soon after.

“Damn it, if my brother winds up dead because of his dumbassery, I’m gonna kill him!” Dante shouted as they ran through the streets.

“We’re almost there!” Nero said. “The marketplace is right around this corner!” They turned into the intersection without slowing down and arrived just in time to see Algea lunge towards Vergil, who was standing still while her talons were at the ready.

“Verge! Move, you idiot!” Dante shouted as he pushed his body to run faster.

But Vergil acknowledged neither of them as he felt her long, sharp claws sink into his chest, pushing them through his body until they impaled him through his back. He began coughing up blood when she withdrew them, blood splattering everywhere on the cobblestone, but he didn’t move an inch.

“Verge!” Dante prepared his blade, ready to attack her, but Vergil blocked him before he could as he instinctively grasped his chest in pain.

“Enough, brother,” he choked out as he struggled to stand. “This is… where it ends…” At his last word, another set of claws were impaled through his neck before they were withdrawn and stabbed through his stomach, making blood gush from his body like a fountain. The pain he felt was excruciating, and his vision was becoming blurry, but not once did he show any signs of defending himself.

He looked over his shoulder and saw that his son was charging towards Algea. He dragged himself in front of Nero at the last second, knowing he would be quick enough to stop himself from attacking his father. It was then that she used this opportunity to make several quick attacks through his back, leaving several gaping, bleeding punctures throughout his body.

“What are you doing?! Fight back!” Nero shouted at his father as he watched him collapse. He tried to attack her in retaliation, but instead she left deep scratches in the back of his arm, making him grunt in pain.

“Nero…” Vergil said as he struggled to his feet. “I’m finally… setting things right…” A second later, he felt his heart become impaled by her talons, pain shattering through every nerve before he collapsed once more, this time too weak to even try to stand on his feet.

“No!” he heard Nero cry. How strange… he was standing right in front of him, but his voice sounded so distant. And now he was suddenly feeling drowsy as the pain became duller. Was that his brother he heard begging for him to get up? He was too weak to turn his head to check.

He finally surrendered to his exhaustion, every muscle in his body falling limp. The last thing he vaguely heard before closing his eyes was Dante shouting “You killed my brother, you bitch!”

* * *

The hard cobblestone beneath him was replaced with something soft as he felt gentle warmth surround him. Even though just a moment ago his body was in excruciating pain, he now felt strangely relaxed, and the drowsiness was beginning to subside as well. But it was an all too familiar humming that finally made him open his eyes.

“Hello, Vergil,” Alisha said. “You’re finally awake, I see.”

He slowly sat upright and knew exactly where he was: It was the cottage he promised to take her to, and he had been laying on the white sofa that was across from the window. It must have been midday, for the sun was filling the entire abode with light. When he turned around he saw her standing a few feet away from him, greeting him with her warm smile as she was bathed in sunlight.

He was about to approach her, wanting to make sure she was real, nearly leaping to his feet. But he stopped himself before he could, turning his gaze downwards.

“How can you smile at me like this?” he asked. “Even after everything that happened…” She chuckled at his remark before taking a seat next to him, sitting as close as she could to him.

“Vergil… did you enjoy our time together?”

“Of course I did; it was the happiest I’ve ever been.”

“Then why do you keep shunning your memories of me?”

“I don’t have the right to have them… I never did.”

“Is that why distanced yourself from your humanity? Why you distanced yourself from me?”

“You’ve been given so much pain in your life; surely you understand how humanity only brings suffering and weakness.” She reached for his hand and squeezed it tight, her grasp warm and soft.

“Vergil… pain, sorrow… they’re all things that happen in life, and no matter what we do, sometimes tragedies happen and we can’t always answer why. But when you cut away what makes you human because you want to save yourself from heartache, you also take away the reminders of why you’re alive. When you continued your chase for power after I died, when you shunned everything to do with the life you once had, what exactly were you planning to do once you had everything you wanted?”

“I would have kept fighting; it was all I had.”

“And that’s all? Would that have made you happy? And when you cut away your humanity, didn’t you feel… hollow? Is that really the life you want?”

No, of course it wasn’t what he wanted. Not really. But after everything that happened, how could possibly rest knowing that one moment of weakness would lead to misery?

“I was always aware of how much you pitied me,” she continued. “How you always saw the weakness of my body every time you looked at me. And I loved that you cared for me as much as you did, and how I was never lonely without you. But you were still too blind to see the strength that I did have.”

He did not think she was weakness and nothing more; after all, she was the one who gave him peace for the first time in many years, something he thought he would never have. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t comprehend what she meant.

She smiled at his slightly confused expression before continuing. “I was the one that approached you on that day so many years ago, was I not? Even though you could have very well refused or ignored more, or even killed me, I took the chance I had instead of letting the opportunity pass me by because I was too afraid. And I gave you all the help that I could with your research, even though I was doing things that could have made me lose my job, or worse. And then…” she reached her hand up to stroke his cheek. “I gave you all of my love and trust, something I thought I would never give to anyone.” She noticed how his eyes turned downward again, sensing the guilt that had washed over him. “Perhaps if just one thing would have gone differently, I may still be here. But it’s also true that there’s no such thing as a perfect life; even I were still alive, it’s impossible to have a life without sorrows or what ifs. That’s why all that matters is what we have right now; and right now I can say that even though my time with you was far too short, I wouldn’t trade it for a hundred lives without you.”

“This strength…” Vergil said as he looked back up at her. “Is it why you keep returning, wanting to see my die so that I can atone for what I’ve done?” She swiftly shook her head.

“It’s true that this demon my body’s become is fueled by sorrow and anger. But it’s not mine; it’s yours.”

“I… I don’t understand.”

“Whenever Algea is on Earth, my spirit is forced into her body so that she’s not just an unmoving corpse. I can see and hear everything she can, but I can’t control her, no matter how much I try. And every time I see you in misery, full of guilt, sorrow, and anger that you can’t let go of, it fuels her power and makes her rise again.”

So it was true that he was the reason why she couldn’t find peace in death. But it was in a way that he never would have expected. And she was somehow devoid of all the rage that he thought she harbored for him. He did not know if these revelations were a relief, or an even worse outcome.

“But there has been some good that I’ve been able to do; when Algea is resting, I’ve been able to give our son the memories that you and I made, so that he can see the love we had for one another, so that he can know that our life, brief as it was, was full of happiness, and that he too was loved. Most importantly, I wanted him to see the person I know his father can be.”

She smiled at him once more. “It’s true that my strength has been used for destruction, but I’m still strong enough to push things in the right direction.”

She finally stood up from where she was sitting. “That’s why you need to return; your brother and son are fighting with all their might to avenge you. And when you go back, please remember what I told you, for it’s the only way I can be set free, and for my remains to return to where they’re supposed to rest.” Before he could say anything else, everything around him seemed to disappear in an instant.

* * *

Vergil’s eyes flew open as he was pulled back to reality. The first thing he saw was Dante and Nero, full of rage as they attacked Algea, still unaware that he was alive. He quickly noticed that he was no longer in pain, as though his body had become refreshed and renewed from the previous experience.

Alisha… he couldn’t say for sure if what he saw was real. But her words struck him to the core, and after all this time of believing that she loathed him, never in his life would he have been able to imagine that she could look at him without hatred, let alone be able to touch him with the same adoration he remembered. And if everything he saw and heard did happen, then he knew what he had to do to finally let her have peace: he would have to find the strength that he ignored for too long, the strength that she always had and always will have that he now understood completely.

He stood to his feet and withdrew his blade before charging towards Algea. Just as Nero was about to be struck by her claws, Vergil blocked the attack, to which she hissed at him in return.

“What the hell?!” Nero shouted as he stared in disbelief at his father.

“V-Verge?!” Dante added. “But… But you were just…” Vergil couldn’t help but smirk at their dumbstruck reactions.

“You two look as though you’ve seen a ghost,” he said before counterattacking Algea. She tried to attack him in return, but he was quick to evade her strike. “Your mother needs our help, Nero; are you just going to ignore her?”

Nero was still confused at what was going on, but he quickly joined his father in attacking her, with Dante soon doing the same.

“So…” Dante said as he joined them, “were you dead? Or were you just taking a nap?”

“I just had a visitor,” Vergil replied. “Someone important.”

With his renewed strength, Vergil relentlessly attack Algea, finally understanding what it was that made his beloved strong, and finding a way to find the same strength within himself. He thought of how there were still many things about Alisha that he had yet to tell their son, how Nero was his reason to continue fighting, how she would be happy to see her husband finally making up for lost time… there was still a long path ahead of him, but for himself, for her, for the ones he cared for, he would never stop.

At long last Vergil dealt the final blow, and he watched as the demon faded away, at long last setting his wife’s spirit free. But to his surprise, the grotesque demon’s body was quickly replaced with his beloved’s true form, just as he remembered her. His jaw dropped ever so slightly, unable to say a word as he saw her standing before him, to which she simply smiled at him.

“Oh… uh… hey,” Dante said when she turned to him, an awkward smile on his face. “Uh… sorry for calling you a bitch back there…” She lightly chuckled at him before approaching her son.

“M-Mom?” Nero said.

“Hello,” she said as she touched his face. “You’ve grown up to be so strong… it’s hard to believe that last time I was with you, you were small enough to fit in my arms.” Nero could feel tears starting to form in his eyes; his whole life had flown by, and her life ended just as his was beginning. She deserved so much more than what she was given, but she was taken away before she could have it.

“Don’t be sad, my darling,” she said. “I’m so happy for you; you’ve done so much with your life, and there’s so much more ahead of you.” She wrapped his arms around him, giving him the embrace so full of her love that she finally got to share. And when he returned her hug, his heart felt so full of warmth that he knew he would never be without.

“Thanks,” he said as she pulled away and wiped the tears from his eyes, a smile gracing his lips. “That really means a lot.”

When she turned towards Vergil, he thought in that moment he would fall to pieces in joy. It was why he couldn’t hold back his tears when he finally got to hold her again, his entire body flooding with warmth as his arms tightly coiled around her.

“Vergil…” she said. “My love…”

“Alisha… I know this can’t last…” he said as he squeezed her tight. “But… I’m not ready to let you go again…”

“I know… I’m not ready either… but I know you’ll endure…” She pulled away just a little bit, but was still close enough to him that she could place her hands on his chest and have his hands at her waist. “I’m so happy… you’ve finally found the strength that I always knew you would one day find. And a part of you always did see the strength I had, didn’t you? But now you finally understand completely.” His hand wandered to her cheek, and she gently returned his touch as she leaned into his palm. “That’s why I don’t want you to rush through the rest of your path; there’s still so much time that you need to spend with our son, and so much time to seek the redemption that I know you’ll find.”

“Yes,” he replied. “Of course.”

“But I promise that when the day comes, I’ll be there for you. But for now…” She removed her left hand from his chest before sliding off the silver ring on her thumb. Then she took his own left hand and placed the ring back where it belonged. “…just remember to always keep me in your memories.”

She leaned into him in a kiss, and he held her close as his lips pressed against her, his eyes closed as he completely embraced the sensation of the last time he would get to feel her.

Too soon the moment ended, and too quickly were his arms filled with nothingness. Just above a whisper he heard in his ear _“Goodbye, my love,”_ before he collapsed on his knees, weeping just as much as he did the first time he said goodbye. His body trembled as he kept his arms wrapped around his chest, wanting to hold on to any and all traces of her love for as long as he could.

“Vergil…” Dante said as he kneeled down next to his brother. “She’s free now… you’re the one that finally gave her peace. She’ll never forget that.”

“Yes… she can finally rest for good…” Vergil replied before slowly standing to his feet. He lifted his left hand to look at the ring that was returned to him; it had been over twenty years since he wore this, making sure that it was buried with his love for her. But now he would make sure it never leaves his sight again, so that it would always be a reminder of the promise he had made when he set her free.

“Hey,” Nero said as he approached his father. “You don’t need to go through this alone, you know; there’s nothing wrong with reaching out once in a while.”

“Right…” Vergil responded, “that’s what she would have wanted, after all…”

All at once he felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted from his shoulders, one that didn’t realize he was carrying until now; it gave him a great sense of relief, to be without such a burden. Though the path ahead of him was long and unpredictable, it was one he was now more than ready to take.


	10. Epilogue

Things were quickly resolved in Fortuna not long afterwards. They stayed a few days longer to help the citizens repair some of the damage that had been caused in the chaos. After everything was said and done, they returned to Red Grave City.

Dante was happy to announce that, despite their client turning out to be an asshole who was now dead, he was still able to come home with the first paycheck since returning from the Demon World. Of course, his excitement was mitigated some when he saw that his magazines on his desk had been utilized as drink coasters while he was gone. A lot of expletives ensured that day.

Two weeks after returning home, the three of them had visited where Alisha was now resting for good, which was now marked with a gray headstone with her name engraved into it. Vergil had apologized to his brother for burying a strange woman on their family’s property, and said that a marker wasn’t necessary, but Dante said that something like that was a silly thing to worry about, and was insistent that she have a proper burial marker.

They had placed a bundle of vibrant white lilies that were growing near the border of the lake at her grave. It was sunny that day, but they were shaded by the long, flowing branches of the willow tree.

“Nice day for a visit, huh?” Dante said.

“Yeah,” Nero replied. “I’m sure she’s happy about that.” Vergil remained silent for a few moments as he knelt at her grave before finally speaking up.

“I’d like a moment alone if you don’t mind,” he said.

“Yeah, of course,” Dante replied before he and Nero made their way back down the hill. When he was finally alone, he saw an all too familiar figure making himself visible from behind the tree.

“Well, well,” V said as he leaned against the trunk. “It seems you’ve finally learned something…”

“Yes,” Vergil replied. “I’m not about to forget what she told me that day.” A smile spread across his other half’s lips.

“In that case, you probably won’t be needing me anymore; perhaps we’ll meet again one day. But for now, I’ll leave you two alone.” A few seconds later, he disappeared, and Vergil had some much needed one on one time with his wife.

For years he thought such a custom was foolish; what was the point in speaking to the dead if they weren’t going to talk back? It would only serve as a reminder that they were no longer on Earth. But now he found sitting at his beloved’s resting place quite peaceful, and a small smile graced his lips when he felt a gentle breeze caress his face and softly sway the cascading branches.

“Hello, Alisha,” he said. “I’m sorry I’ve neglected you for so long. But I promise that starting now, things will be different.” Despite his best efforts, he found his eyes becoming a bit watery.

“I don’t think I’ll ever truly get used to you no longer being by my side. But now I know that trying to bury my memories of you is even more painful. Which is why I’ll keep moving ahead, for you, our son, myself… and I promise I won’t stop, no matter what.”

He stood to his feet and placed his hand on the top of the gravestone.

“I’ll be back soon.” He smiled once more before turning away, knowing that she would be there to listen when he returned.


End file.
